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THE     LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 
THE     RIGHT    HONOURABLE 

CECIL  JOHN   RHODES 


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LONDON   EDWARD  /\RNOLD 


THE  LIFE  AND  TIMES 

OF 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE 

CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

1853-1902 

BY 

THE  HONOURABLE  SIR  LEWIS   MICHELL 

MEMBER  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  COUNCIL,  CAPE  COLONY 


VOLUME  II 


MITCHEa  RENNERLEY 

NEW  YORK.  AND  LONDON 
MCMX 


Copyright,   1910,  by  Mitchell  Kennerley 


PAGE 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  II 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

RHODES   AT    HOME 

His  home  life  and  character.  His  appearance  and  habits.  Erects 
house  on  Lo  Bengula's  Kraal.  Lives  in  huts  in  the  Matopos. 
His  negligence  in  money  matters.  Anecdotes.  Purchase  of 
Groote  Schuur.  Erects  country  house.  Formation  of  park. 
Partiality  for  simple  life.     Characteristics  summed  up  1 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

RHODES   IN   RHODESIA,    1891 

Visits  England.  His  fourth  Will.  Anecdotes.  Returns  to  the 
Cape.  Speaks  to  the  Bond.  Borckenhagen  angry.  Rhodes 
writes  to  the  Bond.  Speaks  at  the  Paarl.  Speaks  in  Parlia- 
ment. The  Bank  Act.  Writes  to  other  Colonial  Premiers. 
Writes  to  Stead.  Transvaal  raid  into  Rhodesia  is  headed  off. 
Political  affairs.  Rhodes  in  Durban.  Visits  Pietermaritzburg. 
Lands  at  Delagoa  Bay.  Lands  at  Beira.  Dispute  with  local 
authorities.  Proceeds  up  Pungwe  River.  Reaches  Mace- 
quece.  Reaches  Umtali.  Met  by  Dr.  Jameson.  Arrives  at 
Salisbury.  Meets  Lord  Randolph  Churchill.  Continues  his 
journey.  Visits  Mazoe.  And  Charter.  And  Victoria.  And 
Zimbabwe.  De  Waal  on  the  country.  Rhodes  arrives  at  Fort 
Tuli.  And  Macloutsie.  Visits  Palapye.  Sees  Khama. 
Arrives  at  Mafeking.    At  Vryburg.    At  Kimberley  16 

CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY,  SESSIONS  OF  1891-1892 

His  ill-health.  His  accident.  His  many  anxieties.  Impending 
shadows.  Approach  of  war.  Contrast  between  the  Republics 
and  the  Colonies.  Between  Kruger  and  Rhodes.  Opening  of 
Cape  Parliament.  Death  of  King  of  Holland.  Rhodes  on 
Gladstone.    Preferential  tariffs.    The  Ballot  Bill.    The  "dual 


434093 


vi  CECIL   JOHN    RHODES 


PAGE 


position."  Rhodes  and  Municipal  taxation.  A  School  of 
Mines.  Close  of  Session.  Makes  his  fifth  Will.  Stead  on 
Rhodes.  Rhodes  on  Tariff  Reform.  Gives  £5000  to  Liberal 
Party.  Correspondence  with  Schnadhorst.  Advocates 
Teaching  University.  Transvaal  affairs.  Opening  of  tele- 
graph line  to  Salisbury.  Visits  England.  Cape  Parliament 
of  1892.  Attacked  by  Sprigg.  Merriman's  Budget.  Rhodes 
on  Swaziland.  Franchise  Bill.  Deceased  Wife's  Sister  Bill. 
The  Dutch  language.  Conservatives  overthrown  by  Glad- 
stone. Transvaal  hostility  to  the  Cape  Colony.  Prorogation 
of  Parliament.  Strong  position  of  the  Rhodes  Ministry. 
Rhodes  on  tour.  Accident.  Kimberley  Exhibition.  Rhodes 
speaks  at  Kimberley.  Sivewright  knighted.  Rhodes  visits 
England.  Addresses  Chartered  shareholders.  Transvaal 
Presidential  election.  Rhodes  on  Uganda.  African  Trans- 
continental Telegraph  Company.  Rhodes  hears  of  internal 
dissensions  in  his  Ministry.  Rhodes  leaves  England.  Inci- 
dent of  British  graves  at  Boomplaats  40 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY,  SESSION  OF   1893 

The  Sivewright  quarrel.  Abortive  negotiations.  Hofmeyr 
declines  to  take  office.  Chief  Justice  and  Rhodes.  Rhodes 
resigns.  Forms  new  Ministry.  Parliament  opens.  The  dual 
position  again.  Innes  on  the  Logan  contract.  Heated  debates. 
Colonial  wines.  Rhodes  on  the  tariff.  West  Coast  Rail- 
way. Rhodes  advocates  a  Minister  of  Agriculture.  Rhodes 
on  German  S.-W.  Africa.  Foreshadows  general  election. 
Condemns  Transvaal  policy.  Prorogation  of  Parliament. 
Rhodes  at  Kimberley  68 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  MATABELE  WAR,  AND  AFTER,  1893 

Rhodes  an  optimist.  Lo  Bengula.  Dawson's  warning.  Helm's 
warning.  Captain  Lendy.  Dr.  Jameson.  J.  Colenbrander. 
Border  Police.  Khama's  levies.  Umjaan  and  his  impi. 
Fighting  on  the  Bembezi.  Allan  Wilson's  death.  Flight 
of  the  King.  Rhodes  speaks  at  Bulawayo.  Views  of  Selous. 
Lord  Knutsford.  Delagoa  Bay  negotiations.  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson  on  Home  Rule  83 


CONTENTS  vii 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A   BUSY   YEAR,    1894 

PAGE 

Matabeleland  Order  in  Council.  Resignation  of  Attorney-General. 
Rhodes  speaks  in  Cape  Town.  Excitement  in  English  press. 
Cape  General  Election.  Rhodes  wins.  Speaks  at  Kimberley. 
At  Barkly  West.  At  Klipdam.  Affairs  of  Pondoland.  His- 
toric survey.  Rhodes  visits  and  annexes  all  Pondoland. 
Parliament  opens.  Theron  Chairman  of  Committees.  Rhodes 
on  preferential  duties.  The  "Rhodes  clause."  High  Commis- 
sioner arrives  from  England.  Visits  Pretoria.  The  flag 
incident.  Loch  warns  Kruger.  Debates  in  the  Cape  Par- 
liament. Uitlander  grievances.  Transvaal  Green  Book. 
Growing  unrest.  Van  der  Walt.  Colonial  Conference  at 
Ottawa.  German  troubles  in  S.-W.  Africa,  Scab  Act.  Glen 
Grey  Bill.  Parliament  prorogued.  Visitors  to  Groote  Schuur. 
Schreiner  returns  to  office.  Rhodes  goes  North.  John  Hays 
Hammond.  Rhodes  visits  England.  Agreement  as  to  Brit- 
ish Central  Africa.  Rhodes  a  London  "Lion."  Avoids  public 
speaking  .  100 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  GATHERING  STORM,  1895 
Rhodes  a  Privy  Councillor.  Blackballed  at  Travellers'  Club. 
Reform  and  Athenaeum  Clubs  elect  him.  Meeting  of  Char- 
tered shareholders.  Kruger  and  Germany.  Dr.  Leyds. 
Swaziland.  Amatongaland.  Mr.  St.  Leger.  Mr.  Edmund 
Garrett.  Retirement  of  Sir  H.  Loch.  Rhodes  in  House  of 
Assembly.  An  educated  native.  Arrival  of  Sir  H.  Robinson. 
Annexation  of  Bechuanaland.  Merriman  calls  for  papers. 
Walfisch  Bay.  Hofmeyr's  birthday.  House  prorogued. 
Mr.  Chamberlain.  Selous.  Transvaal  pin-pricks.  Orange 
Free  State  policy.  High  Commissioner  visits  Transvaal.  A 
"jumping-off"  ground.  Drifts  question.  Gravity  of  position. 
Jameson  Raid  128 

CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  RAID   AND   ITS   RESULTS,    1896 
Kaiser's  cablegram.   Mr.  Schreiner.   Rhodes  resigns.   In  seclusion 
at  Groote  Schuur.     Objects  of  Raid.     Rhodes  in  Kimberley. 
Returns  and  sails  for  England.    Leaves  for  Rhodesia.    Fate 


vlii  CECIL  JOHN    RHODES 


PAGE 


of  Johannesburg  Reform  Committee.  Trial  of  Dr.  Jameson. 
Rhodes  at  Salisbury.  Second  Matabele  war.  Mashona  Re- 
bellion. Rhodes  speaks  at  Bulawayo.  Peace  negotiations. 
Incidents  of  the  campaign.  Rhodes  starts  for  Cape  Town. 
Groote  Schuur  burnt  down.  Reception  at  Port  Elizabeth. 
Proceeds  to  Kimberley.  De  Beers  meeting.  Arrives  in  Cape 
Town.    Anecdotes  143 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

THE   CAPE   PARLIAMENT,   1896 

Governor's  speech.  Merriman  on  the  warpath.  Governor's  de- 
parture. Debate  on  the  Raid.  Select  Committee.  Debate  on 
leave  of  absence.  Schreiner  defends.  Report  of  Committee. 
Schreiner's  great  speech.     Prorogation  of  Parliament  189 

CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  COMMONS, 
AND   AFTER,   1897 

British  supremacy.  Acquisition  of  land.  Fruit  farms.  Dynamite 
factory.  Reception  at  Groote  Schuur.  Banquet  in  Drill  Hall. 
Rhodes  and  Labouchere.  Sails  for  England.  Cables  to  and 
from  the  Sirdar.  Rhodes  in  London.  Kruger  and  Judicial 
Bench.  Rhodes  before  the  Committee.  Sails  for  South 
Africa.  Re-enters  the  House  of  Assembly.  Speeches  outside. 
Permissive  Federation.  Lord  Rosmead  retires.  Sir  A.  Milner. 
Rhodes  a  fatalist.  Views  on  religion.  House  of  Commons 
Committee  Report.  I  visit  Rhodesia.  At  the  Matopos.  Trek 
with  Rhodes.     Anecdotes  199 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

SERIOUS    ILLNESS 

Transcontinental  Telegraph.  Rhodes  at  Inyanga.  Opening  of 
railway  to  Bulawayo.  Native  newspaper.  Subscribes  to  party 
funds.  High  Commissioner  in  Rhodesia.  Rhodes  back  to 
Salisbury.  Transvaal  claim  for  moral  and  intellectual 
damages  219 


CONTENTS  ix 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 

A   STRENUOUS   YEAR,    1898 

PAGE 

Matopo  Dam.  Rhodes  in  Cape  Town.  Interviewed  by  Cape 
Times.  New  Order  in  Council.  Addresses  Cape  electors. 
Sails  for  England.  Present  at  meeting  of  Chartered  Com- 
pany. Attends  meeting  Transcontinental  Telegraphs.  Cape 
Parliament  assembles.  Efforts  to  overthrow  Sprigg  by 
Schreiner  and  the  Bond.  Redistribution  Bill.  Sprigg  defends 
his  letter  to  Chamberlain.  Government  defeated.  Appeal  to 
the  country.  Rhodes's  political  speeches.  Result  of  general 
election.  Sprigg  resigns.  Schreiner  succeeds.  Rhodes  pre- 
sents the  Van  Riebeeck  Statue  to  Cape  Town.  Attends  the 
De  Beers  meeting.     Sails  for  England  225 

CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE    STRUGGLE   FOR    SUPREMACY,    1899 

Importation  of  arms.  Rhodes  not  a  believer  in  war.  Rhodes  busy 
in  London.  Visits  Egypt.  Interview  with  the  Kaiser  at 
Berlin.  Arrangements  arrived  at.  Interview  with  King  of 
the  Belgians.  Made  D.C.L.  by  Oxford.  Attends  Chartered 
meeting.  Overflow  meeting.  Rhodes  back  in  Cape  Town. 
Public  addresses.  House  of  Assembly.  Rhodes  speaks  re- 
peatedly. Growing  uneasiness.  Heated  political  debates. 
Renewed  importation  of  arms.  Exodus  from  the  Rand.  Cape 
Government  weak  and  vacillating.     Parliament  dismissed  252 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE   SIEGE   OF   KIMBERLEY,    1899 

Preparations  for  defence.  A  lion  cub  returned  without  thanks. 
Orange  Free  State  and  Transvaal  drawing  together.  Against 
protests,  Rhodes  throws  himself  into  Kimberley.  Boer  Ulti- 
matum. Martial  Law.  Attacks  and  sorties.  Scott-Turner 
killed.  Labram  makes  "Long  Cecil."  Boers  reply  with 
"Long  Tom."  Labram  killed.  Garrison  resume  the  offensive. 
Furious  fighting.  General  French  arrives.  Boers  in  retreat. 
Anecdotes  271 


CECIL   JOHN    RHODES 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 

NEARING   THE   END,    1900 


PAGE 


After  the  Siege.  Rhodes  on  Federation.  Native  Franchise. 
Lord  Roberts  on  Rhodes.  Addresses  and  appreciations. 
Supper  at  Oriel.  Mining  work  resumed.  Letter  to  Arch- 
bishop. Milner  and  Rhodes.  Visit  to  England.  Sir  Frank 
Lascelles.  Returns  to  the  Cape.  Visit  to  Rhodesia.  Fall  of 
Schreiner.  Veiled  disloyalty.  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg.  Jameson 
a  candidate.  Letters  from  supporters.  South  African  League. 
Rhodes  on  Mugwumps.  Donation  to  Cathedral.  Cession  of 
Barotse  territory  282 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE   LAST   YEAR,    1901 

Scholarship  founded.  Shangani  Monument.  Honoured  Dead 
Memorial.  Mowbray  hostel.  Plague  camp.  Chinese  labour. 
Meeting  of  S.  A.  League  at  Mafeking.  Helps  Kimberley 
Town  Council.  Visits  Bulawayo.  Speaks  there.  Plans  a 
seaside  residence.  Troubled  by  forgeries.  Visits  England. 
Takes  Rannoch  Lodge.  Visits  Italy  and  Egypt.  Returns  to 
England.    Purchases  Dalham.    Projects  a  land  scheme  300 

CHAPTER  XXXIX 

CLOSING   DAYS 

Suspension  of  the  Constitution.  Growing  infirmity.  Removal  to 
Muizenberg.  Letter  to  Archbishop.  The  Matopo  Dam.  Letter 
from  a  lady  correspondent.  Daily  bulletins.  Sufferings. 
Last  hours.     Death  313 

APPENDIX 

PACE 

Copy  of  the  Will  of  the  Right  Hon.   Cecil  John  Rhodes      321 
Index  347 


THE  RIGHT  HON. 

CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
RHODES  AT  HOME 

His  home  life  and  character — His  appearance  and  habits — Erects  house 
on  Lo  Bengula's  Kraal — Lives  in  huts  in  the  Matopos — His  negli- 
gence in  money  matters — Anecdotes — Purchase  of  Groote  Schuur 
— Erects  country  house — Formation  of  park — Partiality  for  simple 
life — Characteristics  summed  up. 

We  have  had  glimpses  of  Rhodes  under  various  aspects. 
We  have  seen  him  at  work  cotton-growing  and  diamond 
winning.  We  have  seen  him  enter  the  arena  of  pubHc 
Hfe,  not  ill-equipped  for  the  contest.  We  know  how  he 
bore  himself  before  the  world,  both  in  business  and  in 
politics.  But  what  of  his  private  life?  In  what  aspect 
did  he  present  himself  in  his  own  home,  under  his  own 
roof-tree,  and  among  his  more  intimate  friends?  The 
answer  is  unambiguous.  He  was  wholly  lovable.  In  the 
strain  and  stress  of  great  affairs  he  could  be  at  times 
abrupt,  hard  and  repellent,  but  the  mood  was  a  passing 
one.  His  steel-blue  eyes  were  curiously  changeable  in 
expression,  he  had  a  quaint  break  at  times  in  his  voice, 
and  his  handshake,  with  a  crooked  finger,  was  a  thing 
to  be  remembered.  But  unless  aflame  at  meeting  crass 
stupidity,  he  was  kindness  itself,  especially  to  those  who 


2  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

needed  kindness  rno3t.  In  his  own  house  he  was  an  In- 
comparable host;  a  delightful' and  stimulating  companion, 
a  thoughtful  and  affectionate  friend.  If  his  political  an- 
tagonists refuse  to  say  of  him,  without  qualification,  what 
Fitzpatrick  said  of  Charles  James  Fox,  "A  patriot's  even 
course  he  steered  'mid  faction's  wildest  storms  unmoved," 
no  man  who  knew  him  well  will  refuse  to  complete  the 
famous  quatrain  and  say  of  him,  "By  all  who  marked 
his  mind,  revered.  By  all  who  knew  his  heart,  beloved." 

The  modern  cult  of  the  simple  strenuous  life,  so  often 
preached,  so  seldom  practised,  had  in  him  a  devout  wor- 
shipper. Simplicity  was  his  dominant  note.  Like  "Caleb 
Garth,"  hard  work  was  his  creed.  The  brilliant  trifler, 
the  elegant  lounger  were  his  abomination.  His  love  of 
cleanliness  w^as  very  remarkable,  and  he  would  not  camp 
out  In  the  veld  If  a  jam  tin  were  found  at  the  place 
selected.  In  his  early  days  in  Natal  he  was  content  to 
live  In  a  Kafir  hut,  and  on  the  Diamond  Fields  In  a  tent. 
When  he  and  Dr.  Jameson  foregathered  at  KImberley  In 
1878,  they  shared  an  unpretentious  bachelor  establish- 
ment in  a  modest  cottage  on  the  main  street.  Indeed,  in- 
timate as  was  his  association  with  KImberley,  he  never 
had  a  residence  there.  He  built  an  admirably  planned 
model  village  for  his  white  workmen,  but  he  bu'lt  no 
house  for  himself.  In  his  later  years  and  during  the 
siege,  he  resided  at  the  Sanatorium,  a  place  he  was  in- 
strumental In  erecting  for  the  comfort  of  English  in- 
valids, of  whom  he  was  always  mindful,  as  he  was  of  the 
poor  consumptive  second-class  passenger,  of  whom  we 
have  already  had  a  glimpse  as  voyaging  with  him  to  Natal 
in  early  days. 

It  was  the  same  In  Rhodesia.     Near  Bulawayo,  on  the 


RHODES  AT  HOME  3 

very  site  of  the  Royal  Kraal  of  the  last  of  the  Matabele 
kings,  he  built  a  commodious  residence  as  a  Government 
House.  On  the  lawn  still  stands  the  tree  of  judgment 
under  which  Lo  Bengula  sat  and  decreed  nameless  tor- 
tures for  small  and  sometimes  imaginary  offences.  Its 
gnarled  and  twisted  trunk  no  longer  grows  on  open  veld, 
but  amid  a  trim  parterre  designed  by  the  skill  of  a  land- 
scape gardener.  It  is  a  grim,  dumb  witness  to  an  era  of 
cruelty  that,  thanks  to  Rhodes,  has  for  ever  passed  away. 
The  house  is  comfortable,  the  prospect  agreeable,  the 
seclusion  complete,  but  Rhodes  did  not  care  to  live  there. 
In  full  view  of  the  mansion,  across  the  wide  plain,  rises, 
on  the  horison,  the  mournful  hill  of  Thabas  Induna — the 
scene  of  a  still-remembered  Matabele  tragedy — ^but  even 
the  historical  associations  of  the  place  could  not  tempt 
him.  From  the  house  towards  the  town,  runs  the  mile 
long  avenue  which  he  planted  for  the  sake  of  future 
generations.  "You  say,"  he  remarked  to  a  friend,  "that 
I  shall  not  live  to  see  those  trees  grow.  I  tell  you  that 
in  imagination  I  already  see  people  passing  and  repassing 
under  their  shade."  But  even  this  did  not  move  him 
to  reside  there  more  than  occasionally.  Urgent  business 
made  upon  him  a  higher  claim  and,  as  a  rule,  he  pre- 
ferred to  occupy  a  small  and  uncomfortable  cottage  on 
the  main  street  of  the  dusty  town.  It  was  the  same  in 
the  Matopos,  where,  later  on,  he  made  his  home  and 
his  grave.  Amid  a  riot  of  hills  encircling  a  singularly 
beautiful  valley,  he  erected,  not  a  house,  but  a  group  of 
native  huts  and  lived  there  in  perfect  happiness.  No 
European  house  Intruded  on  the  tranquil  scene  until  he 
had  passed  away. 

It  was  the  same  when  he  purchased  a  series  of  prop- 


4  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

ertles  In  the  valley  of  the  Drakenstein  near  Cape  Town. 
They  were  studded  with  fine  examples  of  those  old 
Huguenot  homesteads  in  which  his  soul  delighted.  But 
he  occupied  none  of  them.  Their  former  owners,  a 
simple,  kindly,  hospitable  folk,  were  permitted  to  remain 
in  undisputed  possession,  and  he  built  himself  a  tiny  cot- 
tage on  the  mountain  side,  looking  down  upon  a  pano- 
rama of  enchanting  loveliness.  While  an  ordinary  mem- 
ber of  the  Cape  Parliament,  he  lodged  at  a  small  private 
hotel  or  took  his  meals  at  a  club.  Long  after  he  had 
amassed  a  fortune,  his  personal  expenditure  was  incon- 
siderable, though  his  generosity  to  others  was  suspected 
to  be  unstinted.  I  say  suspected,  because  no  man  knew. 
He  was  very  reticent  about  his  bounty,  nor  did  he  allow 
his  right  hand  to  know  what  his  left  hand  did.  He  had 
mastered  the  profound  secret  that  a  man's  life  does  not 
consist  in  the  things  that  he  possesses. 

Soon  after  he  became  Prime  Minister,  I  undertook, 
at  his  request,  to  supervise  his  household  and  other  ex- 
penditure, and  subsequently  he  tricked  me  into  holding 
his  power  of  attorney,  alleging  that  it  was  to  meet  a 
temporary  absence  from  the  Colony.  When  he  returned 
I  sent  him  back  the  document,  but  he  refused  to  receive 
or  revoke  it,  and  I  held  it  till  he  died.  By  his  express 
desire  I  not  only  paid  away  such  amounts  as  were  legally 
due  by  him,  but  made  grants  and  donations  at  my  discre- 
tion. To  a  banker  brought  up  in  the  strictest  tenents  of 
his  sect,  he  was  an  undoubted  trial.  He  once  lost  a  dia- 
mond worth  £70,  but  he  took  no  steps  to  recover  it.  In 
such  matters  he  was  habitually  careless.  He  never  had 
any  money  in  his  pocket,  and  his  banking  account  was 
frequently  overdrawn.     He  refused  to  check  or  investi- 


RHODES  AT  HOME  5 

gate  any  financial  statements  I  submitted  to  him,  nor  did 
he  ever  know  what  he  was  worth  until  I  framed  a  balance- 
sheet  for  him.  The  compilation  of  the  document  was  a 
work  of  difficulty,  and  research.  His  securities  were 
often  found  to  be  registered  in  the  names  of  third  par- 
ties. Some  were  in  the  pockets  of  disused  coats  and  some 
in  obscure  corners  of  his  escritoire.  He  never  kept  a 
set  of  books  or  a  list  of  sums  due  to  him.  Secretaries  of 
public  companies  were  apt  to  complain  that  his  dividend 
warrants  were  unduly  outstanding,  and  he  had  to  be 
searched  ere  they  could  be  found.  When  I  sequestered 
his  cheque-book  in  his  own  interests,  he  issued  cheques 
on  half  sheets  of  note-paper,  and  on  some  occasions 
signed  them  in  pencil.  While  in  Rhodesia  during  the 
Matabele  war,  his  heart  bled  for  the  pecuniary  losses 
suffered  by  "his  settlers,"  as  he  called  them,  and  in  the 
space  of  a  few  weeks  he  called  on  me  to  disburse  more 
than  £16,000  to  relieve  the  distress.  When  the  rinder- 
pest ravaged  the  Cape  Colony  and  threatened  the  de- 
struction of  his  valuable  wild  animals  in  the  paddocks  of 
Groote  Schuur,  I  telegraphed  to  him  at  the  instance  of 
the  Veterinary  Department,  suggesting  the  temporary  ex- 
clusion of  the  public  from  the  estate,  in  order  to  mini- 
mise the  risk  of  infection.  Promptly  came  back  the  un- 
compromising answer,  "Certainly  not:  the  place  belongs 
as  much  to  the  public  as  to  me." 

On  one  occasion  I  received  a  remittance  from  a  trader 
in  a  small  village  in  the  Northern  Transvaal,  who  wrote 
that  Rhodes  had  set  him  up  in  business  years  before, 
and,  having  prospered,  he  now  desired  to  repay  the  loan 
with  interest.  Upon  my  mentioning  the  fact  to  Rhodes, 
he  only  snorted  indignantly  at  the  world  in  general,  re- 


CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


^ 


marking,  "And  yet  they  say  men  are  not  honest!"  On 
another  occasion  I  remarked  to  him,  "You  don't  seem 
to  care  for  money."  "For  Its  own  sake,  no,"  he  replied 
emphatically,  "I  never  tried  to  make  It  for  Its  own  sake, 
but  it  Is  a  power,  and  I  like  power." 

I  was  once  weather-bound  at  a  wayside  shanty  In 
Mashonaland,  kept  by  two  German  storekeepers,  broth- 
ers. On  hearing  that  I  knew  Rhodes,  one  of  them  ex- 
claimed, "Ah!  he  is  a  white  man  all  through.  We  are 
on  the  old  Portuguese  boundary,  and  our  farms  were 
delimited  as  being  on  the  Rhodeslan  side.  Owing  to  end- 
less red  tape  at  Salisbury,  we  failed  to  get  title  and 
decided  to  approach  Mr.  Rhodes  direct.  I  had  met  him 
once,  but  only  once,  and  had  been  of  some  slight  service 
to  him,  but  It  was  long  ago  and  I  could  not  expect  him 
to  remember  me.  We  hesitated  to  trouble  him  while  the 
Matabele  war  lasted,  but  when  that  was  over  and  we 
learnt  he  was  coming  out  via  Beira  and  must  pass  our 
door,  we  determined  to  interview  him.  But  the  day  be- 
fore he  arrived  we  heard  his  house  was  burnt  to  the 
ground  and  that  he  was  much  distressed,  so  we  agreed 
not  to  worry  him.  Well,  he  came  and  outspanned  at  our 
place  and,  greeting  me  by  name,  he  reminded  me  of  our 
last  Interview  and  asked  was  there  nothing  he  could  do 
for  us?  Then  we  spoke  up.  He  was  very  angry,  and 
walked  up  and  down  like  a  bull  In  a  ring  fence,  but  he 
got  on  the  wire  at  the  next  station,  and  within  a  week 
we  received  our  title,  with  an  apology  for  the  long  delay." 

Many  such  Illustrations  of  the  human  Interest  he  took 
in  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  might  be  given.  When 
he  arrived  at  Groote  Schuur  after  the  fire  he  found  that 
his  bedroom  had  been  saved.     I  went  over  very  early 


RHODES  AT  HOME  7 

the  following  morning  and,  walking  into  the  room  as 
usual,  addressed  him  by  name.  But  the  figure  in  the  bed, 
when  it  turned  towards  me,  was  not  that  of  Rhodes,  but 
of  his  secretary.  "I  am  down  with  fever,"  said  a  weak 
voice,  "and  the  chief  made  me  turn  in  here.  You  will 
find  him  in  the  corridor  in  a  blanket."  And  so  I  did. 
Another  secretary  was  once  summoned  to  join  him  in 
the  De  Beers  railway  car,  a  somewhat  ornate  vehicle. 
He  found  a  large  party  dressed  for  a  public  function, 
and  being  himself  in  flannels,  felt  awkward.  Rhodes, 
noticing  this,  inquired  the  reason,  and  thereupon  without 
a  word  abruptly  left  the  compartment,  returning  shortly 
in  his  oldest  suit  to  put  the  secretary  at  his  ease  !  He  once 
sent  a  coat  to  a  tailor  to  be  done  up,  and  received  for 
answer  that,  except  as  to  the  buttons,  it  was  worthless 
and  past  repair.  In  fact,  the  only  demand  he  made  on 
clothes  was  that  they  should  be  loose  and  easy  fitting. 
It  was  the  custom  with  the  bank  I  represented  and  which 
was  the  Government  Bank,  for  the  Chief  Manager  to 
pay  a  formal  call  on  each  successive  Prime  Minister. 
When  Rhodes  took  office  I  did  so,  and  found  him  in 
his  shirt  sleeves,  and  his  first  words  were,  "If  you  think 
I  am  going  to  put  on  my  coat  for  you,  you  are  mistaken." 
I  have  described  the  homeliness  of  his  houses.  There 
was,  of  course,  one  notable  exception  in  Groote  Schuur, 
which  has  been  painted  and  photographed  more  often 
perhaps  than  any  other  private  residence.  When  he 
became  Prime  Minister,  he  resolved  to  build  a  house 
not  for  show,  but  for  comfort,  and  not  for  his  own  com- 
fort so  much  as  for  that  of  others.  Taking  a  wide  view 
of  his  social  responsibilities,  he  desired  to  entertain  on  a 
scale  suitable  to  the  dignity  of  his  high  office,  and,  in  addi- 


8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

tion,   to   save   the   beautiful   slopes   of   Table    Mountain 
from  the  desecrating  hands  of  the  ordinary  builder,  whose 
covetous  eyes  were  already  turned  in  that  direction.    The 
majestic  appearance  of  Table  Mountain  from  the  sea  is 
known  to  all  travellers  in  the  Southern  hemisphere.     Its 
long,  level  ridge,  broken  by  but  one  immense  cleft,  struck 
the  early  navigators  with  awe.     In  the  first  days  of  the 
settlement  its  sides  were  clothed  with  indigenous  forests, 
the  haunt  of  lions  and  leopards.     Kipling  says  of  it: — 
"  Hail!   snatched  and  bartered  oft  from  hand  to  hand, 
I  dream  my  dream,  by  rock  and  heath  and  pine, 
Of  Empire,  to  the  Northward.    Ay,  one  Land 
From  Lion's  Head  to  Line!" 

Early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  the  authorities  of 
the  Dutch  East  India  Company,  finding  Cape  Town  un- 
pleasantly wind-swept,  began  to  build,  here  and  there, 
on  the  slopes  of  the  Hill  whose  summit  towered  3600 
feet  above  them.  Some  excellent  soil  was  found  at  the 
base  of  the  mountain,  a  few  miles  away  from  the  settle- 
ment. Farms  and  cattle  posts  were  gradually  established, 
where  now  stand  residential  suburbs  embowered  in  trees. 
The  early  Dutch,  unlike  their  descendants,  were  keen  af- 
foresters  and  planted  an  oak  avenue  in  the  town  and 
another  at  Nieuweland,  the  present  Newlands.  At  De 
Rondedoorn  Boschje  (Rondebosch)  they  erected  a 
granary  with  a  residence  for  the  Superintendent,  and 
hence  its  name  De  Schuur.  In  1791,  the  Company,  being 
short  of  funds,  sold  the  place  to  a  burgher,  Hendrik 
Christian,  who  divided  it  into  two  lots,  calling  the  larger 
De  Groote  Schuur,  and  the  smaller,  Klein  Schuur.  The 
former  passed  successively  into  the  hands  of  the  Du  Toit 
and  Hofmeyr  families,  but  in  1868  was  purchased  by  a  De 


RHODES  AT  HOME  9 

Smidt.  From  1873  to  1876,  during  Sir  Henry  Barkly's 
Governorship,  it  was  used  as  his  country  residence. 
Subsequently  it  came  into  the  hands  of  a  well-known 
Dutch  lady  of  good  family,  Mrs.  Van  der  Byl,  who  mod- 
ernised the  name  to  the  Grange.  Sir  Hercules  Robinson 
lived  there  for  a  time,  but  the  place  was  leased  to  Rhodes 
in  1 89 1  and  purchased  by  him  In  1893.  Characteristically, 
he  at  once  renamed  it  Groote  Schuur,  and  rebuilt  the 
house  in  the  Huguenot  style,  with  a  thatched  roof.  It 
never  was  a  "lordly  pleasure  house,"  but  a  country  gen- 
tleman's comfortable  mansion,  simple  in  design  but  ex- 
tremely picturesque.  The  interior  was  remarkable  for 
its  lavish  use  of  teak,  but  there  was  no  superfluous  orna- 
mentation anywhere.  The  enclosures  and  fences  on  the 
estate  are  all  of  unusual  size  and  strength.  You  can 
recognise  a  Rhodes'  gatepost  anywhere  by  Its  massive 
construction.  Rhodes  gradually  acquired,  from  various 
holders,  1500  acres  of  surrounding  land,  on  which  he 
planted  oaks,  camphor-wood  and  other  trees,  formed 
sheltered  hydrangea  beds,  constructed  roads  and  moun- 
tain paths,  and  paddocks  for  wild  animals,  threw  the 
estate  open  to  the  public,  and  finally  left  it  by  will  to  the 
first  Prime  Minister  of  a  South  African  Confederation. 
The  house  was  burnt  to  the  ground  in  1896,  and  priceless 
specimens  of  antique  Dutch  and  French  furniture  perished 
in  the  fire,  but  the  library  was  saved,  and  also  the  fine 
bronze  panel  over  the  front  entrance  representing  the 
landing  of  Van  Riebeeck  on  the  sixth  day  of  April,  In 
the  year  1652. 

Rhodes  at  once  rebuilt  the  house  on  the  same  spot, 
and  on  the  same  lines,  only  enlarging  the  servants'  quar- 
ters and  substituting  Dutch  tiles  for  the  thatched  roof. 


lo  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

It  was  on  these  premises,  as  I  have  just  described  them, 
that  Rhodes  for  several  years  kept  a  truly  open  house. 
Its  hospitable  doors  were  open  to  both  nationalities,  and 
to  the  ever-increasing  stream  of  distinguished  strangers 
from  the  mother  country.  One  did  not  know  the  real 
Rhodes  until  one  sat  at  his  table  and  heard  him  discourse 
at  large  on  the  great  political  events  and  social  questions 
of  the  day,  or,  at  rarer  intervals,  on  those  profounder 
problems  of  the  future,  to  which  he  bent  a  forward  and 
far-seeing  gaze.  The  freedom  he  allowed  the  public  was 
sometimes  a  severe  trial  to  his  friends.  On  one  occasion, 
a  picnic  party  bivouacked  on  the  marble  stoep  in  front 
of  the  house,  and  commenced  to  unpack  a  hamper  there. 
"Shall  I  turn  them  off?"  said  an  impulsive  companion. 
"No,  I'll  go  myself,"  replied  the  master.  Opening  the 
front  door,  he  stepped  out,  much  to  the  dismay  of  his 
visitors,  who  probably  thought  the  house  was  unoccupied. 
"Good-morning,  my  friends,"  said  Rhodes,  "sit  there  and 
enjoy  yourselves,  but  please  don't  light  a  fire  on  the 
stoep." 

Yet  even  the  tranquil  splendour  of  a  modern  residence 
was,  in  the  long  run,  less  to  his  taste  than  a  dwelling 
where  he  could  rough  it  at  his  ease.  For  some  time  prior 
to  his  death,  he  grew  to  dislike  Groote  Schuur,  and  as 
all  the  world  knows,  he  finally  breathed  his  last  by  the 
seashore  in  an  unpretentious  cottage,  surrounded  only 
by  two  or  three  devoted  friends. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  urbanity,  which  sat 
so  well  on  Rhodes  in  his  own  house,  was  wholly  lacking 
in  his  intercourse  with  the  outside  world.  He  took,  on 
all  occasions,  a  singularly  human  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  young  men,  and  read  their  characters  with  discern- 


RHODES  AT  HOME  ii 

ment.  To  the  younger  officials  of  the  House  of  Assembly 
he  was  gracious  and  polite.  One  of  them  writes  to  me, 
"When  he  was  Prime  Minister  I  naturally  saw  much  of 
him.  He  did  not  himself  take  charge  of  the  work  of 
the  House:  I  mean  in  regard  to  the  Order  list,  but  he 
often  came  into  my  room  while  the  House  was  sitting, 
and  would  interest  himself  in  anything  that  he  found 
interested  me,  so  much  so  that  in  a  few  minutes  I  seemed 
to  have  nothing  more  to  tell  him.  At  one  time  I  drafted 
a  semi-public  scheme  for  him,  which  he  introduced  into 
the  House  in  a  lengthy  speech.  He  was  so  pleased  with 
the  details  I  had  worked  up  for  him,  that  he  walked  up 
and  down  my  room,  trying  to  give  substance  to  his  ap- 
preciation without  hurting  me  with  bald  flattery,  and  he 
ended  by  insisting  on  subscribing  towards  several  public 
institutions,  to  double  the  amount  I  had  been  persuaded 
to  suggest.  These  subscriptions  were  continued  till  his 
death.  He  appeared  to  me  to  have  an  immense  capactiy 
for  business,  but  he  made  things  seem  so  simple  that  one 
was  apt  to  overlook  the  genius  that  made  them  so." 

Another  and  older  friend,  a  member  of  the  House, 
writes,  "For  years  I  was  frequently  at  his  house  and 
he  at  mine.  He  used  often  to  come  over  on  Sunday 
mornings  and  chat  over  men  and  things,  but  above  all, 
about  the  foundations  of  Life  and  Being  as  he  regarded 
them.  We  seem,  at  such  times,  to  live  in  the  atmosphere 
of  that  wide  horizon  which  surrounded  him  like  a  halo. 
If  the  Colossus  had  feet  of  clay,  they  were  hidden,  but 
the  splendid  reach  of  his  intelligence  was  fully  revealed." 

To  an  old  Kimberley  acquaintance,  who  had  left  the 
country  but  who  wrote  from  England  that,  although 
their  lives  had  drifted  far  apart,  he  would  like  to  see 


12  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

him  once  more  were  it  but  for  five  minutes,  he  replied: — 

"Prime  Minister's  Office,  Cape  Town. 
(No  date,  hut  date  on  envelope  5  Dec,  1890.) 

"My  Dear  G ,  I  am  very  glad  you  wrote  to  me. 

I  should  like  to  see  you  again,  not,  as  you  say,  for 
five  minutes,  or  with  endless  fellows  waiting,  but  away 
down  the  river  (the  Modder  River  near  Kimberley) 
to  talk  over  old  times  and  modern  difficulties." 

Rhodes  was  very  fond  of  discussing  the  various  points 
of  English  politicians,  and  there  was  one  member  of 
the  Gladstone  Government  of  1892  whom  he  cordially 
detested.  He  told  me  once  how  he  had  found  himself 
seated  next  him  at  a  dinner  party  in  London,  and  was 
so  bored  with  him  that  in  the  middle  of  one  of  his 
arguments  on  some  political  problem  he  turned  away 
from  him  and  began  talking  to  his  other  neighbour. 
"It  was  very  rude  of  me,  I  know,"  he  said,  ^\'ery  rude. 
People  who  live  in  London  can't  do  these  things — I  can. 
I  can  do  it  on  the  basis  of  a  barbarian !" 

An  old  pioneer,  invalided  from  Rhodesia  by  fever, 
once  called  at  Groote  Schuur  for  relief.  Out  of  work, 
out  of  elbows  and  reduced  to  a  pitiable  state  from  pri- 
vation, he  was  about  to  venture  to  state  his  case,  when, 
to  his  inexpressible  delight,  he  was  hailed  by  name.  The 
Chief  had  recognised  him  despite  all  changes.  Putting 
his  hand  on  the  man's  shoulder,  Rhodes  said,  "Not  a 
word:  a  good  square  meal  first!"  And  to  the  kitchen 
he  took  him  for  that  purpose,  telling  him  to  return  to 
the  stoep  afterwards.  He  then  heard  his  story  and  gave 
him  an  order  on  his  secretary  in  town  to  give  him  money 
for  what   clothes  he   wanted,    and  told  him   to   return 


RHODES  AT  HOME  13 

the  next  day,  which  he  did.  He  found  Rhodes  in  a  pas- 
sion. "You  only  took  ten  shillings."  The  man  had  been 
ashamed  to  ask  for  more.  Rhodes  at  once  took  him  into 
town  in  his  own  cart,  went  himself  to  the  outfitters,  com- 
pletely clothed  him,  and  gave  him  money  and  a  free  pass 
back  to  his  work.  "I  never,"  he  said,  "forget  an  old 
face." 

On  being  accused  once  of  changing  his  views  rather 
hurriedly,  he  replied,  "Yes,  as  hurriedly  as  I  could,  for 
I  found  I  was  wrong." 

"Every  day,"  he  said,  later  in  life,  "I  try  to  become 
humbler,  but  it  is  hard." 

Once,  when  twitted  with  his  preference  for  young  men, 
he  retorted,  "Of  course,  of  course,  they  must  soon  take 
up  our  work;  we  must  teach  them  what  to  do  and  what 
to  avoid." 

On  another  occasion,  his  sentimental  attachment  to 
the  Boers  was  made  the  matter  of  a  jest.  "They  were 
the  Voortrekkers,"  he  replied,  "the  real  pioneers.  They 
have  always  led  the  way.  It  is  your  business  to  see 
that  our  flag  follows." 

When  he  travelled,  he  read  Plutarch's  Lives,  The 
Meditations  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  and  Gibbon's  Decline 
and  Fall,  and  he  literally  pored  over  the  map  of  Africa. 
But  the  only  novel  I  ever  heard  him  praise  was  The 
Choir  Invisible. 

He  took  a  great  interest  in  the  Society  of  Jesus  and 
was  sincerely  attached  to  several  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers, 
whose  self-sacrificing  labours  in  Rhodesia  he  readily  and 
repeatedly  recognised.  His  admiration  for  the  world- 
wide organisation  of  the  Salvation  Army  is  also  well 
known. 


14  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

But  I  have  said  enough.  The  anecdotes  of  others 
and  my  own  personal  memories  crowd  upon  me.  Let 
it  suffice  to  record  that  in  private  life,  and  especially 
under  his  own  roof — even  more  especially,  perhaps,  un- 
der the  vault  of  heaven  in  those  long  treks  which  he 
so  much  enjoyed — he  was  a  fascinating  personality,  at- 
tractive in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word,  at  times 
wayward  and,  to  strangers,  even  taciturn;  but  as  a  rule 
with  a  charm  all  his  own,  which  no  man  I  have  ever 
met  with  could  successfully  resist,  and  which  impelled 
almost  all  men,  with  whom  he  was  brought  into  contact, 
to  own  that  behind  that  "immense  and  brooding  spirit" 
there  existed  a  heart  of  gold,  a  heart  quick  and  eager 
to  respond  to  every  call,  however  vast,  that  humanity 
could  make  upon  it. 

His  daring  speculations  on  the  future  of  the  Empire, 
and  of  the  world,  will  be  remembered  by  many,  and  the 
depth  of  his  conviction  that  the  greatness  of  England 
is  traceable,  not  obscurely,  to  the  parish  churches  near 
which  the  "village  Hampdens"  lived  unregarded  lives 
and  sleep  their  last  sleep  in  forgotten  graves.  "He  could 
project  his  mind,"  says  a  correspondent,  "into  the  future 
as  easily  as  one  turns  the  pages  of  a  book." 

There  is  one  trait  in  the  character  of  Rhodes  to  which 
I  feel  bound  to  refer  with  disapproval.  For  many  years 
he  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded  that  indiscriminate 
almsgiving  had  its  reward,  that  loyalty  could  be  pur- 
chased by  largesse,  and  that  bread  thrown  upon  the 
waters  always  returned  after  many  days.  But  injudicious 
charity  proved  at  times  a  curse,  not  only  to  himself  but 
to  the  recipient.  This  he  saw  before  he  died.  In  March, 
1 901,  he  wrote  to  me  as  follows: — 


RHODES  AT  HOME  15 

"As  to he  is  like  many  plants,  or  I  should  say, 

trees;  once  you  start  watering  them  you  must  continue 
to  do  so.  — —  was  well  watered  for  many  years,  but 
it  was  thought  unjust  that  he  should  require  it  for  ever, 
so  watering  was  stopped.  He  first  became  threatening, 
and  finally  abusive.     Moral,  don't  water. — Yrs. 

"C.  J.  Rhodes." 

In  Mr.  Mortimer  Menpes'  JVar  Impressions,  compiled 
by  his  daughter  (A.  and  C.  Black,  1901),  there  is  a 
beautiful  chapter  on  Rhodes  in  relation  to  his  private 
life.  Any  one  desirous  of  obtaining  a  transient  glimpse 
of  the  real  Rhodes — Rhodes  at  home — should  not  fail 
to  study  this  fascinating  record  of  the  inner  life  of  a  truly 
great  man. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  (1891) 

Visits  England — His  fourth  will — Anecdotes — Returns  to  the  Cape — 
Speaks  to  the  Bond — Borckenhagen  angry — Rhodes  writes  to  the 
Bond — Speaks  at  the  Paarl — Speaks  in  Parliament — The  Bank 
Act — Writes  to  other  Colonial  Premiers — Writes  to  Stead — Trans- 
vaal Raid  into  Rhodesia  is  headed  off — Political  affairs — Rhodes  in 
Durban — Visits  Pietermaritzburg — Lands  at  Delagoa  Bay — Lands 
at  Beira — Dispute  with  local  authorities — Proceeds  up  Pungwe 
River — Reaches  Macequece — Reaches  Umtali — 'Met  by  Dr.  Jameson 
— Arrives  at  Salisbury — Meets  Lord  Randolph  Churchill — Con- 
tinues his  journey — Visits  Mazoe — And  Charter — And  Victoria — 
And  Zimbabwe — De  Waal  on  the  country — Rhodes  arrives  at  Fort 
Tuli — And  Macloutsie — Visits  Palapye — Sees  Khama — Arrives  at 
Mafeking — At  Vryburg — At  ICimberley. 

I  HAVE  already  referred  to  the  abortive  attempt  made 
by  Rhodes  in  1890  to  enter  Mashonaland  in  the  track 
of  his  pioneers,  and  how  the  High  Commissioner  exer- 
cised his  influence,  and  even  his  authority,  to  place  a 
practical  veto  on  the  adventure.  Rhodes,  while  eventu- 
ally bowing  to  what  was  undoubtedly  a  judicious  decision, 
fully  resolved,  however,  to  visit  the  new  territory  and 
judge  of  its  capabilities  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
I  left  him,  it  may  be  remembered,  at  Kimberley,  where 
he  arrived  in  November,  1890,  from  the  Transvaal, 
and  where  he  was  just  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  festivi- 
ties that  marked  the  completion  of  the  railway  to  the 
Diamond  Fields  on  3rd  December.  Early  in  1891,  he 
again  proceeded  to  England  on  urgent  business,  where 
he  is  said  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Stead  to  have  executed  his  fourth 
will,  dated  in  March.     It  must  have  been  executed  very 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  17 

early  in  March,  because  there  is  evidence  that  he  was 
back  at  Kimberley  before  the  close  of  that  month. 

One  of  the  reminiscences  furnished  to  me  by  a  cor- 
respondent deals  with  this  period,  and  may,  therefore, 
be  given  here.  "You  ask  me  when  I  first  met  Cecil 
Rhodes,"  he  says,  "I  think  it  was  early  in  the  year  1S91, 
if  he  was  in  England  during  that  year.     I  was  in  the 

House  of  Commons  at  the  time,  as  member  for  , 

the  centre  of  an  agricultural  district,  and  I  was  what 
perhaps  you  may  call  a  'Bimetallic  heretic,'  with  a  view 
to  finding  some  remedy  for  the  terrible  depression  affect- 
ing agriculture.  I  remember  having  an  argument  with 
him  on  the  subject.  He  was  much  opposed  to  me,  argu- 
ing that  the  balance  would  be  set  right  by  natural  causes, 
and  that  South  Africa  would  take  a  leading  part  in  re- 
viving prices  by  the  increased  production  of  gold.  I 
said  that  the  agricultural  depression  had  lasted  for  a 
long  time  and  was  becoming  more  acute,  that  I  and  my 
neighbours  were  being  slowly  but  surely  ruined,  and  that 
I  was  seeking  for  the  true  remedy.  Rhodes  argued  that 
the  English  farmer,  as  we  knew  him,  was  an  anachronism, 
and  that  he  must  either  conform  to  the  new  order  of 
things  or  perish.  I  remember  being  much  struck  by 
the  ease  with  which  he  brushed  aside  what  I  had  to 
say.  In  after  years  he  often  reminded  me  of  our  dis- 
cussion. Once,  during  the  Matabele  war,  we  were  on 
the  march  one  lovely  moonlight  night,  expecting  a  sharp 
engagement  at  daybreak,  when  he  suddenly  said,  'How 
glorious  this,  and  how  lucky  you  are  to  be  here!  But 
why   are   you  here?     Because  turnips   did  not  pay   in 

shire.     Had  they  paid,  you  would  have  remained 

an  average  country  gentleman  and  a  fairly  respectable 


1 8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

member  of  Parliament.  How  much  better  to  be  here 
under  the  stars,  thinking  out  great  problems  and  taking 
your  part  In  a  much  more  direct  and  practical  way  to- 
wards the  development  of  the  British  Empire' ;  and 
I  shall  always  recollect  when  I  was  leaving  for  home 
at  the  end  of  the  campaign,  and  was  saying  good-bye 
to  him  at  his  lonely  camp  In  the  Matopo  Hills,  how, 
in  his  quick  shy  way,  he  exclaimed,  'I  have  very  few 
friends  in  the  world  now,  don't  forget  me.'  " 

The  object  of  Rhodes  in  returning  very  hurriedly  from 
England  to  South  Africa  was  the  necessity  under  which 
he  lay,  as  a  practical  politician,  of  cementing  his  alliance 
with  the  Bond  before  the  commencement  of  the  ap- 
proaching session  of  the  Cape  Parliament.  In  compli- 
ment to  their  new  ally,  the  Bond  had  decided  to  hold 
their  annual  Conference  for  1891  at  Kimberley  Itself, 
and  It  was,  of  course,  Important  that  Rhodes  should  be 
there.  He  accordingly,  on  landing  at  Cape  Town,  pushed 
on  at  once  for  the  Diamond  Fields,  thereby  fluttering 
the  dovecotes  of  the  metropolis  and  somewhat  scandalis- 
ing his  Ministerial  colleagues.  He  arrived  In  Kimberley 
just  in  time  to  attend  a  banquet  given  to  the  Bond 
on  the  evening  of  Easter  Monday,  and  to  propose  the 
toast  of  welcome  to  that  great  organisation.  His  speech 
can  only  be  briefly  summarised  here.  He  opened  by  re- 
ferring to  his  having  just  arrived  from  England,  where 
he  had  received  the  highest  consideration  from  politicians 
and  the  honour  of  dining  with  Her  Majesty,  and  then 
went  on  to  say,  "In  the  past  it  would  have  been  an  anom- 
aly for  one  who  possessed  the  confidence  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government  to  come  to  such  a  gathering  as  this,  but  I 
feel  entirely  that  the  aspirations  of  the  Bond  are  now  in 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  19 

complete  touch  with  loyalty  to  the  Queen.  I  come  here, 
therefore,  to  show  that  there  is  no  longer  anything  an- 
tagonistic between  the  people  of  this  Colony  and  the 
mother  country,  provided  that  the  latter  recognises  the 
principle  of  Colonial  self-government,  and  our  capacity 
to  deal  with  every  internal  question  that  may  arise.  The 
only  time  I  ever  differed  seriously  from  the  Bond  was 
when  I  saw  that  you  were  relying  too  much  on  a  senti- 
mental regard  for  the  Republics.  At  one  time  you  were 
prepared  to  let  the  whole  of  the  Northern  Territories 
go  from  you,  In  the  vain  belief  that,  at  some  future  period, 
they  would  be  returned  to  you.  But  my  rule  is  never  to 
abandon  a  position.  I  have  no  antagonistic  feeling  to 
the  Transvaal,  but  if  your  ambition  is  the  union  of 
South  Africa,  the  Colony  must  keep  as  many  cards  as 
it  may  possess.  That  idea  dominated  me  in  the  settle- 
ment of  Bechuanaland,  and  in  regard  to  Zambesia.  It 
is  not  for  us  to  interfere  with  the  independence  of  the 
neighbouring  States,  but  it  is  for  us  to  seek  to  obtain 
Customs  relations,  railway  communication  and  free  trade 
in  products  with  them.  It  took  me  twenty  years  to 
amalgamate  the  Diamond  Mines  here.  It  was  done  in 
detail,  step  by  step,  and  so  our  Federation  will  be  done  in 
detail,  and  you  must  educate  your  children  in  this  policy. 
I  may  meet  with  opposition  in  carrying  out  my  ideas, 
but  I  will  never  abandon  them.  If  you  desire  the  cordial 
co-operation  of  the  English  section  of  the  country,  re- 
member that  we  have  been  trained  at  home,  we  have 
our  history  to  look  back  upon,  but  we  believe  that,  with 
your  help,  it  is  possible  to  obtain  closer  union  and  com- 
plete self-government,  but  you  must  not  ask  us  to  forfeit 
our  loyalty  and  devotion  to  our  mother  country." 


20  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

This  was  plain  speaking,  Rhodes  was  willing  to  work 
with  the  Bond,  but  his  terms  were  stated  with  pre- 
cision. There  was  no  novelty  in  his  attitude.  He  had 
for  years,  with  much  pertinacity,  endeavoured  to  raise 
their  political  standard,  which  was  local  and  parochial. 
His  desire  was  to  broaden  their  narrow  ideals  and  teach 
them  the  elements  of  a  wider  patriotism,  so  that  they 
and  their  children  might  grow  up  in  the  sound  belief 
that  their  primary  duty  was  to  their  own  Colony  and 
to  the  great  Empire  of  which  it  formed  a  part,  rather 
than  to  the  petty  and  ephemeral  Republics  on  their  bor- 
ders. His  speech  made  a  deep  impression.  The  Kimber- 
ley  correspondent  of  a  London  paper  declared  that  the 
Congress  was  effusively  in  his  favour,  only  one  member, 
for  purely  local  and  personal  reasons,  being  anti-Rhodes. 
Throughout  South  Africa  and  England  the  speech  came 
in  for  much  mutually  destructive  criticism.  Imperialists 
of  the  jingo  type  denounced  him  for  his  working  alliance 
with  the  Dutch.  The  sombre  shadow  of  Majuba  still 
rested  on  the  minds  of  many  excellent  men.  Borcken- 
hagen,  on  the  other  hand,  the  German  Editor  of  the  ir- 
reconcilable Free  State  Express,  fiercely  assailed  him  as 
planning  the  eventual  incorporation  of  the  Republics  in 
a  Federation  whose  flag  would  be  that  of  England.  That 
there  should  be  no  possible  misconception  as  to  his  desire 
to  welcome  the  Dutch  in  Rhodesia,  but  only  under  that 
flag,  Rhodes,  a  few  days  later,  wTote  the  following  im- 
portant letter  to  the  Bond  (17th  April,   1891)  : — 

"To  the  Secretary  of  the  Cape  Town  Branch 
of  the  Afrikander  Bond. 
"Sir, — I  have  been  asked,  in  consequence  of  the  meet- 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  21 

ing  of  the  Afrikander  Bond,  which,  I  am  informed,  is 
to  be  held  this  afternoon,  to  place  in  writing,  for  the 
information  of  its  members,  my  own  ideas  about  the 
settlement,  subject  to  the  approval  of  His  Excellency 
the  High  Commissioner,  of  that  portion  of  the  territory 
proclaimed  as  within  the  sphere  of  British  influence, 
which  is  at  present  in  the  possession  of  the  Chartered 
Company,  and  I  take  this  opportunity  of  doing  so.  The 
regulations  regarding  mining  which,  as  you  are  aware, 
have  already  been  published,  provide,  inter  alia,  for  the 
security  of  tenure  by  the  individual  miner  of  his  claims, 
and  render  "jumping,"  which  was  so  fruitful  a  source 
of  trouble  in  other  countries,  impossible.  Deep  levels 
are  likewise  unknown,  the  claim-holder  following  the  reef 
through  all  its  dips  and  variations.  These  mining  regu- 
lations have  been  accepted  generally  as  liberal  and  sat- 
isfactory. As  regards  the  land,  I  think  that,  so  soon  as 
a  settlement  becomes  possible,  farmers  accustomed  to 
practical  farming  should  be  invited  into  the  country  in 
order  to  personally  occupy  and  work  farms  whose  size 
will  naturally  vary  according  to  their  suitability  for  pas- 
toral or  agricultural  purposes.  The  manner  in  which 
the  farms  should  be  given  out  is  a  subject  for  future  con- 
sideration, depending  in  a  great  measure  upon  the  num- 
ber of  applicants.  Should  the  applications  exceed  in 
number  the  farms  available,  I  should  then  suggest  that 
a  committee  of  representative  men  (from  amongst  the 
applicants)  should  be  appointed  for  the  purpose  of 
selecting  and  sending  in  the  names  of  those  whom  they 
consider  to  be  the  most  suitable  farmers  for  the  occu- 
pation and  working  of  a  new  country.  Although  an 
arrangement  has  been  already  made  for  the  admission 


22  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

of  over  one  hundred  farmers  from  the  Transvaal,  and 
although  there  will  be  no  objection,  when  opportunity 
offers,  for  the  admission  of  others  from  the  Transvaal, 
Free  State,  and  other  South  African  communities,  still 
I  can  give  the  assurance  that  in  the  final  settlement  of 
the  country,  with  the  consent  of  the  High  Commissioner, 
no  undue  preference  will  be  shown  to  them  over  Her 
Majesty's  subjects  who  may  desire  to  proceed  from  this 
Colony  or  from  elsewhere.  In  order  to  pave  the  way 
for  this,  I  would  suggest  that  a  deputation  should  proceed 
from  the  Cape  Colony  for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  and 
reporting  upon  the  country.  My  idea  is  that  farms  should 
be  given  out  subject  to  a  reasonable  annual  quit-rent,  and 
that  none  of  the  farmers  should  be  handicapped  at  the 
outset  by  being  called  upon  to  pay  a  capital  amount 
upon  their  land,  so  that  whatever  funds  they  may  possess 
should  be  available  for  the  stocking  and  development 
of  their  properties.  Every  Intending  farmer  will  be  re- 
quired to  sign  a  declaration  that  on  entering  the  territory 
he  will  be  under  the  flag  and  conform  to  the  Chartered 
Company's  laws,  which  will  be  based  in  principle  on 
those  of  the  Cape  Colony,  with  the  right  of  appeal  from 
the  local  courts  to  the  Supreme  Court  In  Cape  Town. 
I  should  greatly  value  any  practical  suggestions  which 
your  members  might  have  to  make  on  this  question  of  a 
land  settlement  in  a  new  country,  but  I  must  tell  you  now 
that  the  Chartered  Company  cannot  permit  any  other 
than  those  who  are  willing  to  place  themselves  under  its 
jurisdiction  to  enter  the  territory.  It  is  stated  that  a 
trek  is  being  organised  in  the  Transvaal  by  certain  per- 
sons, who,  in  defiance  of  the  concession  granted  by  Lo 
Bengula,  the  paramount  chief  of  the  country,  intend  at- 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  23 

tempting  to  enter  the  territory  for  the  purpose  of  setting 
up  a  new  republic  there  within  the  proclaimed  sphere  of 
British  influence,  independent  of,  and  antagonistic  to,  the 
Chartered  Company.  Bearing  in  mind  the  fact  that  the 
Pioneer  force  and  the  Company's  police,  composed  ex- 
clusively of  South  African  English  and  Dutch  Colonists, 
marched  in  last  year  under  circumstances  which  it  was 
generally  believed  in  the  Transvaal  laid  them  open  to 
certain  attack  from  the  Matabele,  and  bearing  in  mind 
the  fact  that  the  country  has  been  occupied  at  the  sole 
expense  of  the  Company,  after  an  expenditure  of  half  a 
million  of  money,  I  refrain  from  criticising  the  action  and 
motives  of  those  who  are  the  instigators  of  such  a  step. 
All  I  can  assure  you  is,  that  I  consider  it  my  bounden 
duty  to  assert  the  rights  obtained  by  the  Company  by 
resisting  such  a  trek,  although  at  the  same  time  quite  pre- 
pared, as  I  have  already  stated,  to  give  consideration 
to  persons  desirous  of  going  from  the  Transvaal  or  from 
the  other  South  African  communities.  And,  before  clos- 
ing, it  may  be  just  as  well  for  me  to  repeat  what  I  have 
all  along  maintained  since  the  day  I  consented  to  become 
Prime  Minister  of  the  Cape  Colony,  that  should  from 
any  cause,  such,  for  instance,  as  this,  the  interest  of  the 
Cape  Colony  and  those  of  the  Chartered  Company  be 
considered  to  clash,  I  shall  at  once  place  my  resignation 
as  Prime  Minister  in  the  hands  of  His  Excellency  the 
Governor,  rather  than  have  It  imputed  to  me  that  I  am 
sacrificing  the  Interests  of  the  Colony;  and  very  deeply 
though  I  should  regret  my  severance  from  you,  I  will 
proceed,  so  far  as  Is  in  my  power,  with  the  development 
of  those  interior  regions  on  which  my  heart  has  so  long 
been  set,  and  where  it  has  steadily  been  up  to  the  present 


24  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

one  of  my  aims  to  secure  a  fair  share  for  your  people, 
and  for  those  who  may  come  after  them. — I  am,  Sir, 
Your  obedient  servant.  C.  J.  Rhodes." 

Following  up  this  trenchant  letter,  Rhodes  again 
visited  the  Paarl,  where,  on  23  rd  April,  he  delivered 
an  important  speech,  in  which,  inter  alia,  he  said: — 

"It  has  been  borne  upon  my  mind  of  late  that  the 
best  thing  for  a  Prime  Minister  to  do  is  to  make  as 
few  public  speeches  as  possible,  and  especially  is  this 
the  case  In  South  Africa,  for  in  South  Africa  we  have 
to  deal  with  the  feelings  of  the  English  people  who  have 
lent  us  all  the  money  we  have  borrowed;  we  have  to 
deal  with  the  sentiment  of  the  neighbouring  Republics; 
we  have  to  deal  with  the  development  of  the  Northern 
territory,  and  then  with  the  little  sister  colony  of  Natal. 
I  defy  any  one  to  make  a  speech  as  Prime  Minister  of 
this  Colony  without  hurting  the  feelings  of  some  one. 
I  was  reflecting  only  to-day  that  the  Cape  Times  has 
thought  it  worth  while  to  spend  a  couple  of  hundred 
pounds  on  a  cable  from  England,  giving  a  criticism 
from  the  London  Times  of  my  speech  at  Kimberley; 
and  when  I  read  that  criticism  I  discovered  that  the 
English  people  were  not  satisfied  with  me.  They  think 
that  I  am  too  Afrikander.  Then  I  have  just  received 
the  Free  State  Express,  in  which  Mr.  Borckenhagen  slates 
me  In  the  most  fearful  language  because  I  am  too  much 
an  Englishman.  I  mention  this  to  show  you  the  difliculty 
in  which  one  is  placed.  But  I  do  feel  that  I  am  steering 
the  right  course  between  Jingoism  on  the  one  side  and 
sensitive  feelings  on  the  other,  if  I  confine  myself  to 
stating  what  is  the  policy  of  the  people  of  Cape  Colony. 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  25 

I  have  to  thank  the  gentleman  who  has  proposed  my 
health,  for  the  statement  of  the  fact  that  I  am  not  de- 
voting my  mind  solely  to  imaginative  schemes  in  the 
North,  but  am  carefully  considering  the  interests  of  this 
Colony,  and  amongst  other  things  the  industry  in  which 
you  are  all  so  deeply  interested,  I  mean  the  wine  industry. 
I  will  take  you  into  my  confidence  to-night,  and  say  that 
when  I  was  at  home  and  was  talking  to  the  Prime  Min- 
ister of  England,  I  said,  'If  you  wish  to  retain  the  senti- 
ment of  the  colonies,  you  must  consider  day  by  day  how 
you  can  give  the  people  some  commercial  advantage,  and 
thus  show  them  that  the  tie  with  England  is  one  that 
is  of  practical  advantage  to  themselves.'  I  told  him  that 
in  1858  or  i860 — I  am  not  quite  clear  which — we  had 
an  arrangement,  so  far  as  our  wine  was  concerned,  which 
induced  the  English  people  to  purchase  our  wines,  and 
to  work  them  up  into  wines  for  the  people  of  that  coun- 
try, basing  my  statements  upon  the  fact  that  Mr.  Gilbey, 
the  great  wine  importer,  had  told  me  that  until  the 
change  in  the  duty  he  imported  very  largely  from  the 
Cape,  and  had  intended  putting  a  great  deal  of  capital 
into  the  trade  with  the  Cape.  As  it  was,  however,  he 
had  bought  vineyards  in  France,  and  imported  wine 
from  France  and  Spain,  and  even  from  Greece.  When 
I  discussed  this  with  Lord  Salisbury,  I  adopted  the  sug- 
gestions I  had  had  from  Mr.  Hofmeyr  about  a  differ- 
ential rate,  and  said  the  greatest  tie  England  could  make 
with  the  Cape  Colony  was  to  return  to  the  system  of 
1858.  I  therefore  agree  with  the  gentleman  who  has 
proposed  my  health,  that  we  must  in  these  matters  look 
more  deeply  than  into  sentiment,  and  that  the  right 
course  for  the  English  people  is  to  offer  this  Colony  some 


26  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

preferential  tariff  in  regard  to  their  wines  over  the  wines 
of  France  and  Spain,  and  so  give  them  a  practical  com- 
mercial advantage." 

Speaking  of  Rhodesia  and  the  threatened  Boer  trek, 
he  added,  "Now,  that  is  the  position.  And  what  am  I 
threatened  with?  I  will  tell  you  in  very  simple  language. 
Your  young  men,  because  they  are  your  young  men,  have 
gone  up  sixteen  hundred  miles,  have  slept  in  their  boots 
every  night,  and  have  felt  they  would  be  murdered  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning — oh,  yes !  every  one  said  so, 
from  the  President  of  the  Transvaal  downwards.  They 
went  right  through,  however,  and  took  the  country;  but 
I  now  own  to  you  that,  of  all  my  troubles,  that  was  the 
most  pressing,  for  I  felt  I  ought  to  be  with  them;  and 
when  at  last  I  found  that  they  were  through  to  Fort  Salis- 
bury, I  do  not  think  there  was  a  happier  man  in  the  coun- 
try than  myself.  But  let  me  continue  the  story.  What 
has  happened  since?  They  have  taken  the  country,  and 
I  have  continued  the  position  I  took  up.  I  kept  on  tak- 
ing any  one  of  your  people  who  cared  to  come  to  me,  and 
I  am  preparing  a  land  settlement  on  that  basis.  I  have 
asked  you  to  send  men  to  report  on  the  country  so  that 
we  shall  not  idly  take  them  away  with  no  prospect.  I 
have  done  all  these  things,  and  now  what  has  happened? 
A  gentleman  named  Mr.  Adendorff,  and  Mr.  Barend 
Vorster  and  Mr.  Du  Preez,  say  they  are  going  to  take 
the  result  of  the  labours  of  your  sons.  When  I  came 
down  from  Tuli  I  visited  Pietersburg,  and  I  met  Mr. 
Vorster  and  Mr.  Adendorff.  I  saw  them  on  several 
occasions,  and  Mr.  Vorster  finally  came  to  me  and  said 
he  had  got  a  local  grant  from  a  native  chief  and  wanted 
me  to  buy  it.     I  said  I  did  not  recognise  local  chiefs  as 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  27 

against  the  chief  of  the  country,  but  if  he  would  send 
the  grant  to  me  I  would  look  it  over  and  give  It  careful 
consideration,  though  I  said  to  him  frankly  that  I  had 
not  much  opinion  of  his  grant.  He  said,  'If  you  don't 
buy  it,  I  shall  give  you  trouble.'  I  then  saw  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Helm,  who  was  astounded  at  what  I  told  him.  It  is 
a  new  country,  and  your  young  people  have  taken  it.  It 
is  no  question  of  the  kind  that  arose  in  the  Transvaal.  It 
is  a  question  of  a  new  country,  which  your  people  have 
tried  to  rescue  from  barbarism  and  add  to  civilisation. 
But  these  people  came  to  me,  and  said  unless  I  gave  them 
so  many  thousand  pounds  they  would  induce  ignorant 
farmers  to  go  in  and  murder  our  people  in  the  country. 
That  is  the  case  as  it  stands;  you  cannot  get  out  of  it.  I 
hope  you  won't  be  annoyed  at  this.  Because  I  would 
not  give  Mr.  Barend  Vorster  and  Mr.  Adendorff  a  cer- 
tain sum  of  money,  they  have  threatened  me  in  the  Zout- 
pansberg  that  they  would  give  me  trouble.  And  that  is 
the  case;  and  those  ignorant  farmers  in  the  Transvaal  are 
being  rushed  in  this  way.  You  know  that  all  who  desire 
to  come  into  this  new  country,  whether  they  come  from 
the  Transvaal,  from  the  Cape  Colony,  from  Natal,  or 
from  the  Free  State,  are  only  too  welcome.  I  have  no 
feelings  as  to  where  a  man  was  born;  all  I  desire  to 
know  is  whether  he  is  a  good  man,  and  then  I  want  him. 
Now,  when  these  gentlemen  say  they  are  going  to  take 
from  my  young  men  their  rights,  and  dispossess  them  of 
the  results  of  their  labours,  then  I  confess  I  do  lose  my 
temper;  and  I  tell  you  to-night  that  if  they  continue  with 
it,  and  If  these  people  will  not  accept  our  rule  and  law, 
then  there  will  be  a  difference  between  us,  and  I  may 
have  to  leave  the  position  which  I  at  present  hold.     But 


28  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

I  know  that,  if  I  had  not  taken  up  the  attitude  I  have, 
they  would  have  got  into  great  trouble  with  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  and  we  might  have  had  troubles  again  like 
that  which  occurred  at  Majuba.  Now  if  these  troubles 
were  to  occur  with  people  whose  independence  was  taken 
away,  you  might  have  some  sympathy  with  them ;  but 
I  ask  you  what  sympathy  you  can  have  with  people  who, 
when  pioneers  have  made  an  effort  to  lift  a  country  from 
barbarism,  and  when  it  is  proved  that  the  Matabele  need 
not  be  feared,  rush  in  and  commit  an  action  of  this 
sort !  It  is  not  fair  or  right.  South  Africa  will  say  it  is 
not  fair,  and  I  feel  confident  I  have  the  feeling  of  South 
Africa  when  I  say  it  is  a  wrong  thing." 

The  only  other  speech  of  importance  made  by  Rhodes 
this  year  was  delivered  in  Parliament,  on  a  proposal  by 
Hofmeyr  to  increase  the  voting  power  of  those  who 
possessed  a  certain  property  or  educational  qualification. 
The  object  of  the  measure  was  indirectly  to  reduce  the 
power  of  the  native  vote,  which  was  felt  on  both  sides 
of  the  House  to  be  a  menace  to  the  Colony,  while,  at  the 
same  time,  it  was  recognised  that  its  direct  withdrawal 
was  impolitic.  As  a  compromise,  Rhodes  was  in  favour 
of  the  proposal,  but  his  Cabinet  was  not  unanimous  on 
the  point,  and  he  declined  to  do  more  than  give  an  un- 
dertaking to  consider  carefully  the  whole  question  during 
the  recess.  One  of  his  colleagues,  Sauer,  moved  an 
amendment,  which  Hofmeyr  accepted,  and  the  motion 
was  then  carried  by  45  to  33.  Much  legislation  of  a 
quiet  useful  kind  characterised  the  Cape  Session  of  1891, 
no  less  than  38  Acts  receiving  the  Royal  assent.  A  cou- 
ple of  railway  measures,  and  a  valuable  Fencing  Act  were 
passed,   and   a   Colonial   Medical   Council   was   set   up. 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  29 

Local  option  in  regard  to  liquor  licenses  was,  for  the 
first  time,  established,  and  the  Deeds  Office  was  re- 
formed. But  the  two  principal  enactments  were  attribu- 
table to  the  losses  and  sufferings  inflicted  on  the  com- 
munity by  the  recent  failure  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
Bank,  as  also  by  that  of  an  important  English  Life  As- 
surance Company.  A  measure  was,  therefore,  adopted, 
requiring  such  assurance  companies  to  deposit  with  the 
Colonial  Secretary  adequate  security  for  the  perform- 
ance of  their  contract  obligations;  while  a  stringent  Bank 
Act  was  passed,  not  without  opposition  from  many  quar- 
ters, owing  to  the  drastic  nature  of  its  provisions.  The 
principle  of  a  completely  protected  note  Issue  was  laid 
down,  as  well  as  of  the  publication  of  periodical  balance- 
sheets,  occasionally  of  a  "surprise"  nature,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent what,  in  London,  is  known  as  "window  dressing." 
But  Rhodes  was  determined  that  bank  depositors  should 
be  safeguarded,  so  far  as  this  can  be  arranged  without 
the  responsibility  of  the  State;  and  Mr.  Merriman,  in 
whose  hands  the  measure  was  placed,  steered  it  through 
all  obstacles  with  conspicuous  tact  and  ability,  with  the 
result  that,  for  the  last  twenty  years,  the  Banking  insti- 
tutions of  the  Colony  have  carried  on  their  business 
with  satisfaction  both  to  their  shareholders  and  to  the 
public,  recurrent  crises  have  been  avoided  and  confidence 
has  never,  in  the  most  anxious  times,  been  for  a  moment 
shaken. 

During  this  session,  Rhodes  found  time  to  write  to 
Sir  John  Macdonald,  the  Prime  Minister  of  Canada, 
and  to  Sir  Henry  Parkes,  the  Prime  Minister  of  New 
South  Wales.  Both  letters  bear  date  the  8th  May,  1891, 
and  deal  with  questions  of  Tariff  Reform  and  Colonial 


30  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Preference.     The  letter  to  Sir  John  Macdonald  was  as 
follows : — 


"Dear  Sir, — I  wish  to  write  and  congratulate  you 
on  winning  the  elections  in  Canada.  I  read  your  mani- 
festo and  I  could  understand  the  issue.  If  I  might  ex- 
press a  wish  it  would  be  that  we  could  meet  before  stern 
fate  claims  us.  I  might  write  pages,  but  I  feel  I  know 
you  and  your  politics  as  if  we  had  been  friends  for  years. 
The  whole  thing  lies  in  the  question :  Can  we  invent 
some  tie  with  our  mother  country  that  will  prevent  sepa- 
ration? It  must  be  a  practical  one,  for  future  genera- 
tions will  not  be  born  in  England.  The  curse  is  that 
English  politicians  cannot  see  the  future.  They  think 
they  will  always  be  the  manufacturing  mart  of  the  world, 
but  do  not  understand  what  protection  coupled  with  re- 
ciprocal relations  means.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of 
writing  to  you,  and  if  you  honour  me  with  an  answer  I 
will  write  again. — Yours, 

"C.  J.  Rhodes. 

"P.  S. — You  might  not  know  who  I  am,  so  I  will  say 
I  am  the  Prime  Minister  of  this  Colony — that  is,  the 
Cape  Colony." 

He  also  seems  to  have  written,  with  colloquial  freedom 
and  unreserve,  to  Mr.  Stead,  on  various  topics  of  the 
day,  including  Fiscal  Reform  and  Home  Rule.  "An 
Assembly,"  he  says,  "that  is  responsible  for  a  fifth  of 
the  world  has  no  time  to  discuss  Dr.  Tanner  or  the 
matter  of  Mr.  O'Brien's  breeches.  The  labour  question 
is  an  important  one,  but  deeper  than  the  labour  question 
is  that  of  the  market  for  the  products  of  labour,  and  as 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  31 

your  local  productions  can  only  support  about  six  mil- 
lions of  people,  the  balance  depends  upon  the  trade  of 
the  world.  Even  a  Labouchere,  who  possesses  no  sen- 
timent, should  know  that  the  labour  of  England  Is  de- 
pendent on  the  outside  world;  and  the  outside  world, 
so  far  as  I  can  see,  will  boycott  the  results  of  English 
labour.  The  American  has  been  taught  the  lesson  of 
Home  Rule,  and  the  success  of  leaving  the  management 
of  the  parish  pump  to  the  beadle.  He  does  not  burden 
his  House  of  Commons  with  the  responsibility  of  cleans- 
ing drains.  If  you  had  had  statesmen,  you  would  at 
the  present  moment  be  commercially  at  war  with  the 
United  States,  and  would  have  boycotted  their  raw 
products  until  they  came  to  their  senses.  And  I  say 
this  because  I  am  a  Free  Trader." 

Before  the  House  of  Assembly  rose,  Rhodes  had  to 
deal  with  the  long-threatened  raid  into  Mashonaland 
by  a  section  of  the  Transvaal  Boers.  For  some  time 
past  a  watchful  eye  had  been  kept  on  these  freebooters, 
who  were,  for  the  most  part,  landless  adventurers,  such 
as  have  always  existed  on  the  fringe  of  the  Republics. 
Their  ambition,  ignoring  all  treaties,  was  to  found  a  new 
Republic  where,  to  use  their  own  words,  "a  genuine 
Afrikander  nationality  could  be  developed."  Kruger 
did  not  openly  favour  the  move,  and  he  probably  viewed 
with  apprehension  the  departure  of  so  many  of  his  bolder 
burghers.  Joubert,  not  being  fettered  by  any  such  sense 
of  responsibility,  was,  as  usual,  for  action.  For  years 
he  had  preached  the  doctrine  that  the  vast  North  was 
the  heritage  of  the  Boer  alone.  In  1890,  when  the 
proposed  "trek"  was  much  talked  of,  a  protest  from 
the  High  Commissioner  led  to  its  postponement  to  a 


32  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

more  convenient  season.  Now  In  1891  the  project  re- 
vived, and  was,  curiously  enough,  coincident  with  another 
and  more  friendly  "trek"  with  w^hich  it  must  not  be 
confounded — I  mean  the  visit  of  a  large  group  of  Cape 
farmers  who  investigated  the  capabilities  of  the  Terri- 
tory in  June,  crossing  from  Tuli  to  Umtali,  a  distance 
of  500  miles,  and  out  by  way  of  Beira.  Meanwhile,  the 
Transvaal  Expedition,  in  spite  of  the  High  Commis- 
sioner's renewed  warning,  completed  Its  preparations, 
and  the  Republic  of  Banyailand,  as  it  was  to  be  named, 
was  announced  as  about  to  be  proclaimed  on  ist  June. 
Writing  to  me  from  Pretoria,  under  date  25th  May,  a 
correspondent  advised  me  that  he  thought  the  President 
was  in  earnest  in  desiring  to  stop  the  Raid,  but  that 
Joubert's  son-in-law  was  taking  an  active  interest  in  it. 
Again,  on  the  following  day,  acknowledging  receipt  of 
my  information  that  Rhodes  was  coming  up  to  Mashona- 
land  via  Beira,  my  correspondent  expressed  a  doubt 
whether  the  Portuguese  authorities  would  permit  him 
to  travel  by  that  route.  He  added  that  the  Transvaal 
Burghers  were  much  annoyed  with  Hofmeyr  and  the 
Bond  over  their  alliance  with  Rhodes,  a  procedure  they 
described  as  "worshipping  the  golden  calf." 

Early  in  June  5000  Boers  were  reported  to  be  waiting 
the  word  of  command  to  move.  But  the  word  was  never 
given.  Sir  Frederick  Carrington,  in  command  of  Im- 
perial troops,  moved  up  to  Mafeking,  and  Dr.  Jameson, 
with  the  Company's  Police,  guarded  every  fordable  drift 
on  the  Limpopo  River.  Under  these  circumstances,  a 
despatch  from  Sir  Henry  Loch,  read  aloud  in  the  Volks- 
raad,  had  a  sobering  effect.  The  President  produced  a 
draft  Proclamation,  threatening  the  "trekkers"  with  fine 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  33 

and  imprisonment,  and  the  issue  of  the  document  was 
sullenly  authorised.  The  great  majority  of  the  raiders 
remained  at  home,  and  only  a  limited  number  ignored 
the  law.  On  loth  June  an  air  of  comedy  was  sought  to 
be  associated  with  the  movement  by  a  Rustenburg  Boer 
telegraphing  to  the  High  Commissioner  that  the  "trek- 
kers"  were  passing  through  there  "in  their  thousands," 
whereas,  on  inquiry,  he  admitted  that  he  was  only  re- 
ferring to  a  flight  of  locusts. 

On  24th  June,  the  irreconcilables,  mustering  with 
camp  followers  about  200  men,  arrived  at  the  main  drift 
on  the  Limpopo.  Colonel  Ferreira  and  two  other  lead- 
ers crossed  the  river,  but  were  arrested  by  the  police 
under  instructions  from  the  High  Commissioner.  Dr. 
Jameson,  arriving  on  the  scene  shortly  afterwards, 
released  the  prisoners  and  accompanied  them  to  the 
Boer  camp,  which  was  by  this  time  seething  with  excite- 
ment. 

There  for  some  hours  he  argued  with  them  on 
the  folly  of  forcibly  entering  the  country  disowned  by 
both  Governments,  whereas  the  Chartered  Company  was 
willing  to  allot  land  to  bona-fide  settlers  who  were  pre- 
pared to  accept  its  rule.  His  courage  and  tact  prevailed, 
and  when  the  Boers  found  in  the  morning  that,  under 
cover  of  the  night.  Major  Goold-Adams,  with  reinforce- 
ments, had  joined  the  Company's  Police,  they  melted 
entirely  away  without  firing  a  shot.  Of  course  the  extreme 
Republican  press  foamed  at  the  mouth.  "They  seem 
very  rabid  with  Loch,"  wrote  his  predecessor  to  me,  "and 
have  even  taken  to  praise  me.  Tempora  mutantur! 
Mr.  Rhodes  appears  to  have  acted  with  great  judgment. 
I  hope  the  'trek'  and  his  various  other  troubles  will  not 


34  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

impair  his  health.  Were  he  to  break,  down,  I  know 
no  man  who  could  take  his  place." 

The  Times  also  wrote  that  the  failure  of  the  "trek" 
was  due  to  the  admirable  precautions  of  the  Company, 
and  to  the  fact  that  President  Kruger  was  wise  enough 
to  accept  the  inevitable.  The  President,  however,  was 
under  no  illusions.  "Rhodes,"  he  said,  "is  putting  a  ring 
fence  round  me,  and  that  is  why  I  must  fight  him."  Long 
afterwards  referring  to  the  incident,  Rhodes  declared 
that  Kruger  was  the  arch  raider  in  South  Africa,  and 
had  been  at  the  back  of  all  such  movements  for  a  genera- 
tion. 

On  1 8th  August,  1891,  the  session  came  to  a  close, 
the  Governor's  speech  reporting  that  a  census  had  been 
taken,  and  a  Liquor  Law  Amendment  Act  passed  "in 
the  highest  interests  of  the  people,"  but  that  the  Bank 
Act  had  been  reserved  for  the  signification  of  Her 
Majesty's  pleasure.  Meanwhile  a  controversy  had  arisen 
in  England  over  Hofmeyr's  "plural  voting"  proposals, 
which  were  held  by  uninstructed  champions  of  the  na- 
tives to  indicate  a  resolve  to  suppress  the  coloured  vote 
entirely.  The  Times  published  an  interesting  article  on 
the  franchise  debate,  hinting  that  Hofmeyr  was  aiming 
at  a  South  African  Union  outside  the  Empire.  "The 
chief  players,"  it  said,  "keep  their  heads.  Rhodes  has 
a  nation  at  his  back.  Hofmeyr  is  the  older,  perhaps  the 
cooler,  certainly  the  more  experienced  of  the  two.  He 
has  been  giving  way  ever  since  Rhodes  returned  from 
England.  He  now  asks  for  his  equivalent — more  Dutch 
votes." 

Mr.  F.  Mackarness  made,  in  reply,  a  strong  defence 
of  the  alliance  between  Rhodes  and  Hofmeyr,  asserting 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  35 

with  justice  that  the  latter's  attitude  at  the  Colonial 
Conference  of  1887  vouched  for  his  loyalty,  and  pointed 
out  his  very  recent  appointment  by  the  High  Com- 
missioner to  proceed  on  a  special  mission  to  Pretoria, 
as  a  proof  of  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  officially 
held.  Mr.  Mackarness  added  that  Hofmeyr  was  not 
asking  for  more  Dutch  votes  over  English,  but  for  more 
European  votes  over  uncivilised  natives.  Only  one 
further  reference  need  be  made  here  to  the  work  of  the 
session.  Mr.  Merriman's  Budget,  which  he  described 
as  "the  short  and  simple  annals  of  the  poor!"  threw  a 
cold  douche  on  the  glowing  estimates  of  his  predecessor, 
Sprigg,  and  condemned  with  great  force  the  latter's 
neglect  of  the  policy  of  internal  development  in  order 
to  become  a  great  "carrying  agent"  to  the  Republics. 
Sprigg  retaliated  by  attacking  Rhodes  in  his  vulnerable 
dual  position,  to  which  Merriman  retorted  that  Sprigg, 
while  in  England,  had  spoken  in  quite  a  contrary  sense, 
and  that  the  House  well  knew  that  it  was  only  the 
exigency  of  party  politics  that  led  to  the  change  of  front. 
Once  free  of  his  Parliament,  and  having  transacted 
necessary  business  in  Kimberley,  Rhodes,  on  14th 
September,  left  Cape  Town  for  Port  Elizabeth,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  de  Waal  and  Major  Frank  Johnson.  He 
had  resolved,  at  whatever  inconvenience,  to  visit  Mas- 
honaland  and  see  for  himself  what  were  its  pastoral, 
agricultural  and  mineral  prospects.  At  Port  Elizabeth 
the  party  caught  the  Drumtno^id  Castle,  a  vessel  only 
remembered  now  for  the  terrible  fate  that  subsequently 
overtook  it.  On  the  evening  of  17th  September  Rhodes 
reached  Durban,  the  port  at  which,  as  a  delicate  and 
friendless  lad,  he  had  originally  landed  twenty-one  years 


36  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

before.  Time  permitting,  he  visited  Pietermaritzburg 
to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Governor,  Sir  Charles  Mitchell, 
but  returned  to  the  coast  the  following  day  and  embarked 
on  the  Norseman,  taking  with  him  a  Colonial  travelling 
cart  and  a  number  of  horses.  De  Waal  complains  bit- 
terly of  the  cockroaches  which  infested  the  ship,  and 
of  Rhodes's  scorn  at  his  complaints.  "You  are  a  silly 
man,"  said  the  Prime  Minister,  "to  be  afraid  of  such 
harmless  creatures.  As  for  me,  I  treat  them  like  flies." 
On  22nd  September  the  travellers  were  at  Delagoa 
Bay  (Lourenco  Marques)  the  insanitary  condition  of 
which,  under  Portuguese  rule,  is  noted  by  De  Waal  with 
wrath  and  contempt.  Sailing  again  the  same  evening, 
they  next  landed  at  another  Portuguese  port,  Inhambane, 
where  Rhodes  engaged  sixty  stalwart  natives  to  accom- 
pany him  to  Rhodesia  as  camp  followers.  The  authori- 
ties raised  technical  objections  to  this  recruiting  and,  as 
their  protest  was  disregarded,  two  of  the  oflicials  clung 
to  the  ship  and  were  carried  on  to  Beira.  Arriving  there 
on  26th  September,  they  procured  an  order  from  the 
local  Commandant  prohibiting  the  landing  of  the  na- 
tives. Fortunately  H.M.S.  Magicienne  was  lying  in 
the  river,  and  the  judicious  diplomacy  of  her  Commander, 
backed  by  the  payment  of  extortionate  fees,  at  length 
solved  the  problem,  and  the  party  were  permitted  to 
proceed  up  the  Pungwe  River  in  a  flat-bottomed  boat. 
Anchoring  at  night  in  mid-stream,  the  travellers  found 
it  difficult  to  sleep  owing  to  the  concert  kept  up  by  lions 
and  hyaenas  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  while  by  day 
the  low  islands  and  mud  flats  were  seen  to  be  swarming 
with  crocodiles,  and  the  river  with  lumbering  hippo- 
potami. After  a  while  Rhodes  abandoned  the  river  route 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  37 

and  took  to  the  road,  if  road  it  could  be  called.  Herds 
of  buffalo  and  zebra  were  met,  and  the  country  was  low- 
lying  and  unhealthy,  until  on  8th  October  they  reached 
Macequece,  the  scene  of  the  encounter  with  the  Portu- 
guese the  preceding  May.  But  the  Commandant  now 
In  charge  of  the  frontier  town  was  a  gentleman,  and 
bore  no  malice,  and  assisted  the  little  expedition  to  pro- 
vision and  refit.  On  9th  October  they  arrived  at  old 
Umtali,  within  view  of  'Mtasa's  mountain  home.  The 
coming  of  Rhodes  is  pleasantly  described  in  the  Adven- 
tures of  Two  Hospital  Nurses  in  Mashonaland. 

"He  was  besieged,"  they  say,  "with  petitions  of  all 
sorts.  Malcontents  and  chronic  grumblers  went  to  his 
hut  and  came  away  cheerful  and  satisfied.  Not  that  any- 
thing was  altered  in  the  condition  of  affairs:  the  man's 
personal  magnetism  wrought  the  change.  His  stay  was 
not  to  exceed  two  days,  so  we  did  not  expect  to  see  him. 
Great  was  our  astonishment  when  on  the  morning  of  the 
lOth  of  October  one  of  the  officials  rushed  in  breathless 
to  say  Mr.  Rhodes  was  coming.  Mr.  Rhodes  rode  up 
alone.  His  appearance  and  Roman  emperor  type  of 
head  are  too  well  known  to  need  description.  As  soon 
as  he  was  seated  on  a  box  in  our  hut,  he  asked  for  pen 
and  ink,  saying  he  would  give  us  something  for  the  hos- 
pital. How  much  would  we  have?  'Would  £100  do? 
Make  it  £150.'  If  we  had  asked  for  £500  he  would 
have  given  it.  Everything  about  the  man  is  big — faults, 
virtues,  projects.  We  were  especially  charmed  with  the 
great  man's  simple  manners." 

Jameson  and  other  pioneers  met  Rhodes  at  Umtali, 
and  taking  advantage  of  the  excellent  road  constructed 
by  Selous,  the  party  reached  Fort  Salisbury  on  or  about 


434093 


38  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

1 8th  October,  where  Rhodes  was  received  with  great 
enthusiasm  by  the  entire  population.  Their  only  re- 
corded complaint  is  that  the  stock  of  consumable  liquor 
had  run  perilously  low,  a  position  never  very  acceptable 
to  a  hard-working  mining  community  in  a  new  country. 
Rhodes  had  no  difficulty  in  allaying  their  fears.  He 
was  already  familiar  with  the  generous  thirst  which  per- 
vaded Kimberley  in  its  early  days. 

After  a  week's  administrative  and  other  work,  he 
continued  his  journey,  accompanied  for  a  while  by  Lord 
Randolph  Churchill,  who  was  then  in  Mashonaland  as 
correspondent  to  the  Daily  Graphic,  and  whose  fretful- 
ness  is  noted  by  De  Waal,  who  was  apparently  ignorant 
that  the  cause  was  readily  traceable  to  the  chronic  ill- 
health,  destined,  ere  long,  to  carry  the  brilliant  statesman 
to  an  early  grave. 

The  party,  after  visiting  many  ancient  gold  workings 
at  the  Mazoe  and  elsewhere,  and  having  had  excellent 
sport  along  the  Hunyani  River,  arrived  at  Fort  Charter, 
where,  to  the  general  joy,  they  were  joined  by  Selous, 
who  enlivened  their  evening  camps  with  vivid  narrations 
of  sport  and  adventure  in  the  territory  through  which 
they  were  passing.  Fort  Victoria  was  reached  a  few 
days  later,  from  which  point  an  excursion  was  made  to 
the  mysterious  ruins  of  Zimbabwe,  as  to  the  date  of 
which  science  has  not  yet  said  its  last  word.  On  3rd 
November  the  travellers  were  again  on  "trek,"  De 
Waal,  a  typical  Dutchman  in  his  ability  to  know  good 
land  when  he  saw  it,  waxing  enthusiastic  over  the  pros- 
pects of  the  country.  "I  am  fully  persuaded,"  he  writes, 
"that  the  day  will  come  when  we  shall  see  large  cities 
round  about  Zimbabwe,   and  when  the  produce  of  the 


RHODES  IN  RHODESIA  39 

country  will  surpass  that  of  any  other  part  of  Africa. 
Now  is  the  time  to  'trek'  here.  Mashonaland  is  still  open 
to  all,  and  I  would  be  glad  to  see  the  descendants  of  the 
daring  old  Voortrekkers  occupy  this  fine,  healthy,  fertile 
land.  Let  not  our  people  hesitate,  but  set  out  at  once 
to  inhabit  a  region  than  which  there  are  few,  if  any, 
more  beautiful  on  the  globe." 

The  party  subsequently  went  on  to  see  the  Chief, 
Chibe,  whose  alleged  cession  of  rights  to  Adendorff  and 
Vorster  had  led  to  the  recent  "Banyailand"  trek.  His 
repudiation  of  their  claim  is  amusingly  told  by  De  Waal: 
indeed  poor  Chibe,  so  far  from  being  an  independent 
chief,  was  raided  shortly  afterwards  by  his  overlord,  Lo 
Bengula,  and  massacred,  he  and  all  his — an  atrocity 
which  was  one  of  the  determining  causes  of  the  Com- 
pany's action  against  the  Matabele  a  year  or  two  later. 
On  14th  November,  Rhodes  arrived  at  Fort  Tuli,  and  a 
few  days  afterwards,  at  the  Base  Camp,  Macloutsie,  thus 
accomplishing  the  task  he  had  set  his  mind  upon,  of  tra- 
versing a  portion  of  his  new  dominions  and  returning 
in  the  track  of  his  pioneers.  From  there  he  visited 
Palapye  to  thank  Khama  for  his  eminent  services,  and 
making  short  rests  at  Mafeking  and  Vryburg,  he  reached 
Kimberley  on  23rd  November,  1891,  after  a  rough  but 
deeply  interesting  journey  of  nearly  4000  miles  by  sea 
and  land. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY 
SESSIONS  OF  1891-1892 

His  ill-health — His  accident — His  many  anxieties — Impending  shadows 
— Approach  of  war — Contrast  between  the  Republics  and  the 
Colonies — Between  Kruger  and  Rhodes — Opening  of  Cape  Parlia- 
ment— Death  of  King  of  Holland — Rhodes  on  Gladstone — Prefer- 
ential tariffs — The  Ballot  Bill — The  "dual  position" — Rhodes  and 
Municipal  taxation — A  School  of  Mines — Close  of  Session — Makes 
his  fifth  Will — Stead  on  Rhodes — Rhodes  on  Tariff  Reform — Gives 
£5,000  to  Liberal  Party — Correspondence  with  Schnadhorst — Advo- 
cates Teaching  University — Transvaal  affairs — Opening  of  telegraph 

line  to  Salisbury — Visits  England — Cape  Parliament  of  1892 — At- 
tacked by  Sprigg — Merriman's  Budget — Rhodes  on  Swaziland — 
Franchise  Bill — Deceased  Wife's  Sister  Bill — The  Dutch  language 
— Conservatives  overthrown  by  Gladstone — Transvaal  hostility  to 
the  Cape  Colony — Prorogation  of  Parliament — Strong  position  of 
the  Rhodes  Ministry — Rhodes  on  tour — Accident — Kimberley 
Exhibition — Rhodes  speaks  at  Kimberley — Sivewright  knighted — 
Rhodes  visits  England — Addresses  Chartered  Shareholders — 
Transvaal  Presidential  Election — Rhodes  on  Uganda — African 
Transcontinental  Telegraph  Company — Rhodes  hears  of  internal 
dissensions  in  his  Ministry — Rhodes  leaves  England — Incident  of 
British  graves  at  Boomplaats. 

I  HAVE  already  glanced  at  the  parliamentary  proceed- 
ings at  the  Cape  during  the  brief  remainder  of  the  session 
of  1890,  in  the  course  of  which  Rhodes  assumed  office, 
I  have  also  briefly  alluded  to  the  session  of  1 89 1 .  A  more 
detailed  summary  of  the  latter  may  now  be  found  con- 
venient. 

Rhodes's  first  Ministry  lasted  from   17th  July,   1890, 
to  3rd  May,  1893,  when  it  broke  up  from  within.     His 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  41 

position  as  Prime  Minister  remained,  Indeed,  unchanged, 
but  he  never  again  enjoyed  the  support  of  such  experi- 
enced and  competent  colleagues,  and  from  henceforth 
some  of  his  old  friends,  to  their  grief  and  his,  were  to 
be  seen  In  the  ranks  of  the  Opposition.  His  health, 
moreover,  began  to  give  way  under  his  manifold  ac- 
tivities and  anxieties  as  to  the  peace  of  South  Africa, 
and  he  probably  never  altogether  recovered  from  the 
shock  caused  by  a  bad  fall  from  his  horse  while  riding 
with  Mr.  Merrlman  on  22nd  December,  1891.  From 
about  this  date  onward,  to  the  actual  outbreak  of  hos- 
tilities In  1899,  the  flickering  shadow  of  Impending  war 
lay  athwart  the  land  he  loved.  At  times  the  sombre 
cloud  seemed  to  lift  only  again  to  descend  with  added 
gloom.  There  were  not  wanting  men  of  goodwill  on 
either  side,  both  In  the  Dutch  Republics  and  in  the 
British  Colonies;  but  the  great  majority,  ranged  In 
opposition  camps,  saw,  some  with  a  stern  delight,  others 
with  profound  concern,  that  there  was  no  peaceful  issue 
to  the  conflict  of  ideals  which  drew  to  a  climax  with  all 
the  inevitability  of  a  Greek  tragedy.  The  press,  with 
honourable  exceptions,  Inflamed  the  animosity  of  the  con- 
tending parties.  The  clergy  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  were  as  vehement  politicians  as  are  Irish  priests, 
and  their  language  seldom  made  for  peace.  The  "man 
in  the  street,"  generally  of  alien  descent,  beat  the  drum 
and  waved  the  flag,  and  was  always  ready  to  embark 
on  war,  by  deputy,  with  a  light  heart  and  a  cheerful  irre- 
sponsibility. The  sub-continent  was  thus  full  of  loose 
combustibles.  There  was  electricity  in  the  air.  No  man 
knew  where  the  blow  would  fall  or  when,  but  that  a 
blow  was  coming  every  one  Instinctively  felt.    On  one  side 


42  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

stood  the  two  Republics,  soon  to  be  on  terms  of  strict 
alliance,  practically  controlled  by  one  despotic  ruler,  and 
possessing  the  incalculable  advantage  of  having  many 
blood  relations  and  friends  in  the  coast  Colonies.  Their 
adherents  in  Natal  were  formidable,  not  so  much  from 
their  numbers  as  from  their  residence  in  good  strategic 
positions  along  the  Border.  In  the  Cape  Colony  half 
the  population  and  the  whole  of  the  Dutch  press  were 
on  their  side.  Their  supporters,  moreover,  were  not  un- 
warllke  traders  and  speculators,  but  men  come  of  a  good 
fighting  stock,  whose  fathers  had  proved  their  prowess 
on  many  a  field  of  battle  against  British  forces  as  well 
as  against  native  foes.  So  far  back  as  1892  the  Trans- 
vaal was  well  armed,  and  for  another  seven  years  she 
perfected  her  preparations  without  intermission.  The 
artillery  with  which  she  armed  herself,  both  before  and 
after  the  Raid,  could  only  have  been  required  against 
an  European  enemy.  Another  support  she  thought  she 
had  was  the  probability  of  foreign  intervention  and  as- 
sistance. The  exact  hopes  held  out  to  her  in  one  or 
more  of  the  Chancelleries  of  Europe  are  known  to  a 
very  few,  and  are  unlikely  to  be  revealed  in  our  time, 
unless  some  one  behind  the  scenes  should  be  tempted 
to  indulge  in  a  blazing  indiscretion.  But  that  she  relied 
on  such  a  contingency  is  unquestionable.  Her  whole 
policy  was  based  on  the  supposition.  In  the  event,  she 
leaned  on  a  reed  which  pierced  her  hand.  But  although 
possessing  no  written  promise  of  support,  she  relied,  and 
I  venture  to  Imagine  was  entitled  to  rely,  on  a  verbal 
assurance  that  in  any  grave  emergency  she  could  count 
on  the  moral,  and  even  on  the  material,  friendship  of  a 
first-class  power.     The  confidence  of  the   Boer  leaders 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY,  43 

in  the  ultimate  success  of  a  struggle  with  the  Suzerain 
power  is  incapable  of  reasonable  explanation  on  any 
other  ground.  But  if,  on  the  one  side,  stood  a  wary  and 
resolute  Dutch  President,  the  pivot  of  the  aspirations  of 
his  people,  the  type  and  flower  of  his  stern  and  unyield- 
ing race,  so,  on  the  other  side,  stood  a  Colonial  Prime 
Minister,  an  Englishman  incarnate,  determined  to  hazard 
life  and  fortune  rather  than  submit  to  the  degradation 
of  his  flag.  Insecure  In  the  support  of  his  own  parlia- 
mentary majority  or  of  the  Dutch  element  in  his  own 
Colony,  or  of  the  nerve  of  the  Transvaal  Uitlanders  in  a 
crisis,  his  local  position  was  visibly  inferior  to  that  of  his 
great  antagonist,  but  he  had  self-reliance,  imagination 
and  genius :  he  was  confident  in  the  loyalty  of  Natal  and 
of  his  own  Rhodeslans,  and  he  had  the  command  of 
the  sea;  while  behind  him,  afar  off,  but  indubitably  there, 
he  felt  he  had  his  mother  country  and  the  hardy  settlers 
in  her  oversea  dominions.  The  contest  was  thus  not 
wholly  unequal.  History,  regarding,  with  judicial 
scrutiny,  the  bickerings  and  race  feuds  of  the  years  now 
under  review,  will,  I  think,  eventually  pronounce  that 
there  were  faults  of  temper  and  of  policy  on  both  sides, 
but  that  from  the  outset  the  struggle  for  supremacy  could 
only  be  determined  by  the  arbitrament  of  arms.  We  may 
be  thankful  that  Englishmen,  who  have  encountered  the 
Boer  in  the  fighting  line  and  on  the  veld,  are  now  en- 
thusiastic admirers  of  his  soldierly  qualities,  and  freely 
admit  that  Kruger,  with  all  his  limitations,  was  a  son 
of  the  soil  of  whom  any  country  might  be  proud. 
Equally  are  there  Dutch  Afrikanders  who  no  longer  re- 
fuse.their  tribute  of  admiration  to  the  memory  of  Rhodes. 
One  of  their  foremost  representatives,  General  Smuts, 


44  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

speaking  at  Johannesburg  on  i6th  November,  1907,  de- 
clared that  Cecil  Rhodes  and  Paul  Kruger  were  the  two 
dominating  personalities  in  South  African  history,  the 
men  who  had  laid  the  "spoor"  which  would  be  followed 
for  centuries. 

On  Tuesday,  26th  May,  1891,  Sir  Henry  Loch  opened 
the  third  session  of  the  eighth  Parliament  of  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  and  announced  the  completion  of  the 
line  of  railway  to  Vryburg  on  Its  way  to  the  far  North : 
to  Bloemfontein  on  its  way  to  Pretoria,  and  to  Simon's 
Town,  the  Imperial  Naval  Station.  "My  Ministers," 
he  added,  "have  visited  Bloemfontein  and  entered  on  a 
fresh  Convention  for  the  extension  of  the  line  to  the 
Vaal  River."  Referring  to  native  affairs,  he  went  on 
to  say  that  Umquikela  was  dead  and  that  there  was 
much  unrest  in  Pondoland,  but  that  the  Cape  and  Natal 
had  successfully  preserved  peace  on  their  respective 
borders. 

On  27th  May,  Rhodes  moved  and  Hofmeyr  seconded 
a  motion  to  prepare  and  transmit  an  address  of  sym- 
pathy on  the  death  of  the  King  of  Holland,  a  small 
but  not  insignificant  act  of  courtesy  which  was  appre- 
ciated by  the  Colonial  Dutch. 

On  4th  June,  during  the  course  of  a  discussion  on 
the  wine  industry,  Rhodes  again  declared  that  it  had 
been  ruined  by  Gladstone  for  the  benefit  of  foreign 
countries,  and  that,  in  his  opinion,  there  should  be  closer 
commercial  union  between  the  mother  country  and  her 
Colonies,  based  on  a  system  of  reciprocal  preference. 
Hofmeyr  concurred  and  gave  some  interesting  details. 
"Prior,"  he  said,  "to  the  revised  tariff  of  i860.  Cape 
wine   paid   a   duty   of   two   shillings   and  tenpence   per 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  45 

gallon,  and  foreign  wine  paid  five  shillings  and  sixpence 
per  gallon.  When  this  preference  was  abolished,  our 
exports  fell  at  once  from  1,100,000  gallons  to  500,000, 
and  we  must  hope  that  this  Free  Trade  craze  will  pass 
away,  as  concessions  to  the  Colonies  will  tend  to  con- 
solidate the  Empire."  The  craze,  though  visibly  weaker, 
has  not  passed  away,  but,  in  the  meanwhile,  the  Cape 
wine  industry  has  been  practically  annihilated.  Rhodes 
wound  up  the  debate  by  saying  that  Lord  Randolph 
Churchill  had  very  recently  encouraged  him  to  apply  for 
preferential  relations  on  the  ground  that  among  the 
working  classes  of  Great  Britain  there  existed  a  strong 
desire  to  regain  the  trade  of  the  Colonies. 

On  5th  June,  in  a  division  on  the  Ballot  Bill,  the 
House  tied,  33  to  33,  and  the  Speaker  gave  his  casting 
vote  for  the  measure,  whereupon  Hofmeyr  moved  to 
go  into  Committee  that  day  three  months.  The  Ministry 
were  divided  on  the  point,  and  the  motion  was  carried 
by  35  to  32.    The  Bill  therefore  dropped. 

On  17th  June,  Sprigg,  in  Committee  of  Supply,  re- 
turned to  the  attack  on  the  Premier's  "dual  position." 
Merriman,  in  defence,  said,  "Every  patriotic  man  in 
this  House  should  wish  the  Chartered  Company  well 
and  endeavour  to  help  it  in  every  possible  way."  Uping- 
ton  supported  Sprigg,  while  Sauer,  in  a  caustic  rejoinder, 
said  he  believed  the  Colony  would  benefit  very  much  by 
the  operations  of  the  Company,  and  he  pointed  out  to 
tlie  House  that  Sprigg,  at  a  meeting  of  his  constituents, 
hud  blessed  the  Company  altogether  and,  on  the  19th 
January,  1890,  had  sent  a  formal  Minute  to  the  Gov- 
ernor to  the  effect  that  Ministers  were  in  entire  accord 
with  the   Company's  managing   director,   believing   the 


46  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

enterprise  on  which  he  was  engaged  would  be  an  incal- 
culable benefit  to  the  Colony  and  to  South  Africa.  Hof- 
meyr  followed,  strongly  supporting  Rhodes.  Thereon, 
a  leading  member  of  the  Bond  declared  that,  Rhodes's 
ideal  being  self-government,  he  should  receive  the  help 
of  all  true  Afrikanders.  But  the  most  interesting  inci- 
dent in  the  debate  was  the  fact  that  John  Laing,  the 
original  mover  in  the  attack  during  the  previous  session, 
now  rose  and  publicly  recanted,  expressing  the  opinion 
that  the  House  and  the  country  had  every  reason  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  Premier  and  his  work.  After  a  spir- 
ited closing  speech  from  Rhodes,  his  opponents  pru- 
dently feared  to  challenge  a  division,  and  the  question 
dropped. 

On  30th  June,  a  private  member  moved  for  the  abo- 
lition of  the  system  of  protection  by  means  of  preferen- 
tial railway  rates  on  Colonial  products,  but  Rhodes 
avowed  that  he  was,  and  always  had  been,  in  favour 
of  affording  the  farmer  moderate  protection  in  regard 
to  those  food-stuffs  which  the  Colony  could  produce. 
The  motion  was  negatived  without  a  division.  On  2nd 
July,  Rhodes  moved  that  Government  property  within 
Municipal  areas  should,  in  future,  be  liable  to  taxation, 
from  which  it  had  been  hitherto  exempt.  His  main 
object,  he  said,  was  to  augment  the  Municipal  revenue 
of  Cape  Town,  because  that  city  was,  and  ought  to 
remain,  the  capital  of  South  Africa.  His  motion  was 
agreed  to  by  40  to  18.  On  13th  July,  on  the  proposed 
Railway  Convention,  he  sharply  rebuked  Upington  for 
missing  his  opportunity  in  1886,  when  Kruger  was  willing 
to  allow  an  extension  of  the  line  to  Johannesburg  and 
had  been  sore  ever  since  at  the  rejection  of  his  over- 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  47 

tures.  A  couple  of  days  later  he  spoke  strongly  in 
favour  of  the  preferential  use  of  Colonial  coal  and  other 
products,  thus  carrying  out  the  South  African  policy  to 
which  he  had  pledged  himself.  On  the  20th  July,  in  a 
discussion  on  the  advisability  of  establishing  a  School 
of  Mines  in  order  to  train  the  youth  of  the  country  in 
a  knowledge  of  its  greatest  industry,  he  said  that  he  did 
not  want  a  lad  to  compete  for  a  "bit  of  paper"  (a  di- 
ploma), but  he  would  like  to  see  the  instruction  so 
practical  that  a  student  could  always  leave  the  Institu- 
tion with  the  offer  of  a  mining  appointment  in  his  pocket. 
On  1 8th  August,  Parliament  was  prorogued  with  the 
usual  formalities.  The  Governor  congratulated  the 
House  on  the  successful  passage  of  the  Bill  for  the  Regu- 
lation of  Banking,  and  on  its  caution  in  regard  to  the 
further  prosecution  of  railways.  With  this  parting  shot 
at  Sprigg,  the  session  of  1891  terminated. 

Earlier  in  the  year,  while  Rhodes  was  in  England, 
he  is  understood  to  have  made  a  fifth  Will,  leaving 
the  bulk  of  his  estate  in  trust  to  Mr.  W.  T.  Stead, 
who,  at  the  time,  seemed  to  him  to  be  the  most  fitting 
person  within  the  range  of  his  acquaintance  to  carry 
out  his  ideas  {vide  "Last  Will  and  Testament  of  Cecil 
Rhodes,"  Review  of  Reviews  Office,  1902).  Mr.  Stead 
states  that  Rhodes,  to  elucidate  his  views,  addressed 
him  at  considerable  length  from  Kimberley  on  19th 
August  and  3rd  September,  shortly  before  leaving  for 
Mashonaland. 

The  former  letter  was  probably  written  in  the 
train  on  his  way  to  Kimberley,  and  Illustrates  the 
rapidity  with  which  his  mind  worked,  for,  as  I  have 
just  shown,  he  only  rose  from  Parliament  the  previous 


48  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

day.     Both  documents  are  quoted  by  Mr.  Stead  in  detail 
and  still  make  interesting  reading. 

It  was  on  the  23  rd  February,  1891,  that  Rhodes, 
who  was  then  in  England,  contributed  £5000  to  the 
funds  of  the  Liberal  party.  The  donation  passed 
through  the  hands  of  Mr.  F.  Schnadhorst,  who,  having 
paid  a  visit  to  South  Africa  the  previous  year,  had 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  Cape  Premier,  and 
strongly  impressed  the  latter  with  a  sense  of  his  excep- 
tional organising  ability.  The  following  Is  a  transcript 
of  the  letter  accompanying  the  gift: — 

"Monday,  February  23,   1891. 

"My  Dear  Schnadhorst, — I  enclose  you  a  cheque 
for  £5,000  and  I  hope  you  will,  with  the  extreme  caution 
that  is  necessary,  help  in  guiding  your  party  to  consider 
politics  other  than  those  of  England.  I  do  not  think 
your  visit  to  KImberley  did  you  harm  either  physically 
or  politically,  and  I  am  glad  to  send  you  the  contribution 
I  promised.  The  future  of  England  must  be  Liberal, 
perhaps  to  fight  Socialism.  I  make  but  two  conditions; 
please  honourably  observe  them :  ( i )  that  my  contribu- 
tion is  secret  (if,  of  course,  you  feel  In  honour  bound 
to  tell  Mr.  Gladstone  you  can  do  so,  but  no  one  else, 
and  he  must  treat  It  as  confidential);  (2)  If  the  exig- 
encies of  party  necessitate  a  Home  Rule  Bill  without 
representation  at  Westminster,  your  association  must 
return  my  cheque. — Yours,  C.  J.  Rhodes. 

"P.  S. — I  am  horrified  by  Morley's  speech  on  Egypt; 
If  you  think  your  party  hopeless  keep  the  money,  but 
give  It  to  some  charity  you  approve  of.  It  would  be 
an  awful  thing  to  give  my  money  to  breaking  up  the 
Empire." 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  49 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  only  vital  condition  annexed 
to  the  donation  was  that  it  should  be  returned  if  the 
party  passed  a  Home  Rule  Bill  which  excluded  the  Irish 
members  from  Westminster.  In  a  postscript,  however, 
Rhodes  expressed  alarm  at  a  recent  speech  by  Mr. 
John  Morley  which  appeared  to  foreshadow  the  evacua- 
tion of  Egypt.  Subsequently,  his  uneasiness  deepened, 
owing  to  a  report  that  Mr.  Gladstone  himself  favoured 
the  abhorred  policy  of  scuttle,  and  he  accordingly,  while 
on  his  way  back  to  South  Africa,  addressed  a  second 
letter  to  Mr.  Schnadhorst  to  the  following  effect: — 

"On  hoard  the  'Dunottar,'  April  i^th,  1892. 
"My  Dear  Schnadhorst, — I  am  sorry  to  have 
missed  you,  but  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  so  much  better, 
though  it  robs  one  of  the  chance  of  seeing  you  again 
in  South  Africa.  I  gather  in  England  that  your  party 
is  almost  certain  to  come  in,  though  there  may  be 
subsequent  difficulty  as  to  the  shape  of  the  Home  Rule 
Bill.  The  matter  that  is  troubling  me  is  your  policy  as 
to  Egypt.  I  was  horrified  when  I  returned  from  Mas- 
honaland  to  read  a  speech  of  Mr.  Gladstone's  evidently 
foreshadowing  a  scuttle  if  he  came  in,  I  could  hardly 
believe  it  to  be  true  and  sat  down  to  write  to  you,  but 
thought  it  better  to  wait  and  see  you.  I  have  now  missed 
you,  so  must  trust  to  writing.  I  do  hope  you  will  do 
your  best  to  check  him  from  the  mad  step  which  must 
bring  ruin  and  misery  on  the  whole  of  Egypt,  whilst  our 
retirement  will  undoubtedly  bring  it  under  the  influence 
of  one  or  other  of  the  foreign  powers,  which  of  course 
by  reciprocal  treaties  will  eventually  manage  the  exclu- 
sion of  our  trade.     However,  if  your  respected  leader 


50  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

remains  obdurate  when  he  comes  Into  power,  and  adopts 
this  policy  of  scuttle,  I  shall  certainly  call  upon  you  to 
devote  my  subscription  to  some  public  charity  in  terms 
of  my  letter  to  you,  as  I  certainly,  though  a  Liberal,  did 
not  subscribe  to  your  party  to  assist  in  the  one  thing 
I  hate  above  everything,  namely,  the  policy  of  disin- 
tegrating and  breaking  up  our  Empire.  As  you  are 
aware,  the  question  of  Egypt  was  the  only  condition 
I  made,  and  it  seems  rather  extraordinary  to  me  that  the 
first  public  speech  your  leader  should  make,  which 
sketches  generally  his  views  upon  the  near  approach 
of  office,  should  declare  a  policy  of  abandonment.  I 
asked  you  at  the  time  I  wrote  to  see  him  and  tell  him 
of  my  action,  and  I  suppose  you  must  have  mentioned 
the  Egyptian  question  which  was  really  all  I  cared  about. 
We  are  now  one-third  of  the  way  with  a  telegraph 
through  the  Continent  from  the  south,  only  to  hear  of 
your  policy  of  scuttle  in  the  north. — Yours. 

"C.  J.  Rhodes." 

Mr.  Schnadhorst's  reply  is  subjoined: — 

"National  Liberal  Federation, 
42  Parliament  Street,  S.W. 
June  4th,  1892. 
"My  dear  Rhodes, — I  regret  very  much  I  did  not 
see  you  when  you  were  here  as  your  letter  places  me 
In   a   situation    of   extreme   perplexity.      Your   donation 
was  given  with  two  conditions,  both  of  which  will  be 
observed,    but    In    a    postscript    you    referred    to    John 
Morley's  speech  on  Egypt  In  the  sense  In  which  you  have 
written   about   Mr.   Gladstone's   reference   to  the   same 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  51 

subject.  It  is  18  months  ago  since  I  saw  you,  when 
you  referred  to  the  subject  in  conversation,  and  I  told 
you  then,  as  I  think  now,  that  J.  M.'s  speech  was  very 
unwise,  and  that  it  did  not  represent  the  policy  of  the 
party.  The  General  Election  has  been  coming  near  and 
is  now  close  at  hand.  Your  gift  was  intended  to  help 
in  the  Home  Rule  struggle.  It  could  do  so  only  by 
being  used  before  the  election;  being  satisfied  that  I 
could  observe  your  conditions  and  that  J.  M.'s  speech 
was  simply  the  expression  of  an  individual  opinion,  I 
felt  at  liberty  to  pledge  your  funds  for  various  purposes 
in  connection  with  the  election.  This  was  done  to  a 
large  extent  before  Mr.  G.  spoke  at  Newcastle.  I  am 
bound  to  say  that  in  my  view  his  reference  to  Egypt 
was  no  more  than  a  pious  opinion.  It  did  not  alter 
my  feeling  that  a  Liberal  Government  would  not  attempt 
withdrawal.  Sir  W.  Harcourt  was  annoyed  at  Mr.  G.'s 
reference  at  the  time,  and  since  I  heard  from  you  I 
have  seen  Lord  Rosebery,  who  will  become  Foreign 
Minister,  and  who,  I  am  satisfied  from  what  he  said  to 
me,  would  not  sanction  such  a  policy.  Mr.  Gladstone, 
I  expect,  had  been  worked  on  by  a  few  individuals,  but 
in  my  opinion  it  would  be  simply  madness  for  him  to 
add  to  the  enormous  difficulties  with  which  he  will  have 
to  deal,  by  risking  complications  on  such  a  subject. 
There  is  no  danger,  besides  the  next  Foreign  Secretary 
will  be  a  strong  man  who  will  take  his  own  course,  very 
different  from  the  pliant  and  supple  Granville.  Of 
course  I  may  be  wrong:  time  alone  can  show,  but  if 
I  waited  for  that,  the  purpose  for  which  I  asked  your 
help  would  go  unaided.  You  will  see  what  a  fix  you  have 
put  me  in.     I  will  not  make  any  further  promises  until 


52  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

I  hear  from  you. — With  all  good  wishes,  I  am,  Faithfully 
yours,  "F.  Schnadhorst." 

The  incident  is  worth  recording,  because  some  years 
later,  in  1901,  a  long-sustained  controversy  arose  over 
an  anonymous  letter  in  the  Spectator,  which  accused* 
the  Liberal  party,  and  specifically  Sir  W.  Harcourt  and 
Sir  H.  Campbell-Bannerman,  of  having  been  "bought" 
for  £5000.  The  accusation  was,  of  course,  outrageous. 
Rhodes  was  admittedly  alarmed  at  occasional  indiscreet 
utterances  of  prominent  politicians,  which  conveyed  to 
his  mind  an  impression  that  the  little  Englanders  were 
endeavouring  to  limit  the  responsibilities  of  Empire,  re- 
gardless of  the  national  honour,  but  he  warmly  resented 
the  charge  that  his  money  had  been  given  with  a  view 
to  "square"  the  Liberal  party.  A  great  deal  more  was 
made  of  the  incident  than  it  deserved,  and  Rhodes  be- 
lieved, as  all  sensible  people  now  believe,  that  both  the 
great  parties  in  the  State  can  be  equally  trusted  to  uphold 
the  integrity  of  all  territory  once  brought  under  our 
control.  The  Marquess  of  Salisbury  was  not  slow  to 
recognise  the  growing  ascendancy  of  Rhodes.  Speaking 
at  Glasgow  on  receiving  the  freedom  of  that  city  in 
May,  1 89 1,  he  said,  "There  is  the  British  South  Africa 
Company,  which  you  will  probably  know  better  in  the 
concrete  form  of  Mr.  Cecil  Rhodes,  a  very  considerable 
man,  a  man  of  very  many  remarkable  powers,  and  re- 
markable resolution  and  will." 

During  the  year  with  which  I  have  just  dealt,  Rhodes 
made  a  strenuous  effort  to  establish  a  Teaching  Uni- 
versity at  the  Cape,  offering  a  site  and  large  endow- 
ment out  of  his  own  pocket;  but  his  plans  were  thwarted 
*"Which  accused." — i.e.  The  newspaper,  not  the  correspondent,  for 
whom  these  reflections  are  not  intended. 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  53 

by  the  opposition  of  the  Dutch  educational  authorities 
at  Stellenbosch  and  elsewhere,  who  preferred  a  May- 
nooth  of  their  own  to  a  truly  National  University.  The 
position  in  the  Transvaal  also  continued  to  cause  him 
great  and  growing  anxiety.  His  various  overtures  to 
Kruger  were  disregarded,  and  even  the  support  of  the 
Bond  in  the  Cape  Colony,  which  he  still  enjoyed,  had 
no  effect  on  the  iron  obstinacy  of  the  President. 

On  the  17th  February,  1892,  the  telegraph  line  to 
Fort  Salisbury  was  completed,  and  Rhodes  and  I  had 
a  long  and  interesting  talk  over  the  wires  with  Dr. 
Jameson,  the  Administrator,  a  talk  which  resulted  in 
the  establishment  of  the  first  bank  in  Rhodesia  on  20th 

July. 

In  March  Rhodes  sailed  for  England  in  connection 
with  Chartered  finance,  leaving  the  administration  of 
the  Cape  Colony  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Merriman,  But 
he  was  back  at  his  post  when  the  fourth  session  of  the 
eighth  Parliament  was  opened  by  Governor  Loch  on  the 
3rd  June,  1892,  a  few  days  subsequent  to  the  opening  of 
the  railway  to  the  Transvaal  border.  In  His  Excellency's 
speech  he  announced  the  tranquillity  of  Native  Affairs, 
referred  to  the  rapid  expansion  of  the  Transvaal  gold 
industry,  and  added  that  his  Ministers  had  made  a  pro- 
visional agreement  to  advance  £650,000  to  the  Nether- 
lands South  African  Railway  Company  for  railway  ex- 
tension, in  order  to  secure  for  the  Colony  its  fair  share 
of  Transvaal  trade.  The  session  had  no  sooner  opened 
than  Rhodes  was  called  upon  to  defend  himself  against 
persistent  attacks  by  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg.  The  first  trial 
of  strength  occurred  on  24th  June,  when  the  Opposition 
endeavoured  to  wreck  the  Franchise  Bill,  but  were  de- 


54  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

feated  by  52  to  16.  On  28th  June,  Merriman  intro- 
duced the  Budget  in  a  speech  of  singular  ability,  closing 
with  the  remark  that  the  most  hardened  pessimist  must 
admit  that  the  past  year  had  been  one  of  undoubted 
prosperity  and  that  the  financial  position  of  the  Colony 
was  sound  and  stable.  On  30th  June  a  typical  instance 
occurred  of  the  equity  with  which  Rhodes  generally  met 
what  he  considered  a  reasonable  Transvaal  claim.  He 
does  not,  as  a  rule,  receive  credit  for  having  been  con- 
siderate in  that  direction.  Mr.  van  der  Walt,  a  Dutch 
member,  asked  whether  Swaziland  was  to  be  annexed 
to  the  Transvaal,  and  Rhodes,  in  reply,  stated  that  cer- 
tain paragraphs  in  the  English  press,  accusing  the  Cape 
of  hostility  to  the  claims  of  the  Republic,  were  malicious 
and  mischievous.  Such  statements,  he  added,  were  op- 
po'^ed  to  the  views  of  the  Cape  Cabinet  as  a  whole, 
and  contrary  to  the  views  of  every  individual  member 
of  his  Ministry.  On  5th  July,  Sprigg  moved  what  was 
practically  a  vote  of  censure  on  Rhodes,  for  an  alleged 
delay  in  the  completion  of  the  line  of  rail  from  Vryburg 
to  Mafeking.  There  had  been  some  delay  necessitating 
an  appeal  to  the  De  Beers  Consolidated  Mines  for 
financial  assistance,  but  on  20th  April,  1892,  a  loan 
had  been  arranged.  The  attack  in  the  Assembly  drifted 
into  the  old  grievance  of  the  dual  position  of  the  Prime 
Minister,  but  the  House,  by  an  overwhelming  majority, 
rejected  the  motion.  On  nth  July  Rhodes  moved  the 
second  reading  of  his  Franchise  and  Ballot  Bill  and, 
after  a  debate  extending  over  many  days,  carried  the 
point  by  45  to  20,  Hofmeyr  being  a  strenuous  supporter 
of  the  measure.  On  going  into  Committee,  a  wrecking 
amendment  was  thrown   out  by  48   to   9,   and  various 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  S5 

other  amendments  fared  no  better.  The  Bill  was  finally 
passed  on  ist  August  by  47  to  13.  An  interesting  amend- 
ment to  grant  Women's  Suffrage  was  resisted  by  Merri- 
man,  who  quoted  a  Dutch  proverb,  "Women  and  brandy 
are  excellent  things,  but  you  must  handle  them  cau- 
tiously." The  House  ungallantly  negatived  the  proposi- 
tion without  a  division,  but  I  cannot  find  that  any  suffra- 
gette demonstrations  ensued.  The  following  quotation 
from  a  recent  article  in  the  Times  correctly  describes 
the  Act  and  the  prior  Franchise  Act  of  1887: — "Sir 
Gordon  Sprigg  in  the  year  1887  introduced  a  Bill  'to 
make  better  provision  for  the  registration  of  persons 
entitled  to  the  electoral  franchise  under  the  Constitu- 
tion Ordinance.'  The  real  object  of  the  Bill  was  to 
strike  at  the  abuse  of  the  'joint  occupation'  clause  in 
that  Ordinance;  and  in  his  speech  on  the  second  reading 
Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  showed  how,  as  the  consequence  of 
that  abuse,  the  native  vote  had  increased  to  an  alarming 
extent.  The  figures  which  he  gave  may  be  summarised 
as  follows  {Cape  Hansard  for  1887,  p.  67)  : — 

Number  of  Voters  Number  of  Voters 
District.                              in  1882.  in  1886. 

European.    Natives.  European.    Natives. 

Aliwal   North    1,280  260       1,486  800 

Port  Beaufort   1,1 79  160  1,832  400 

Kingwilliamstown .  .  .  .  1,676  370  3,301  1,300 

Queenstown   2,080  220  3,769  1,770 

Victoria  East    628  90  1,023  520 

Wodehouse    1,424  50  2,71 1  1,325 

"As  finally  passed,  the  Act  of  1887  made  it  clear  that 
'joint  occupation,'  to  be  a  qualification  for  the  franchise, 
had  to  be  actual  occupation  of  'a  house  or  other  build- 


^6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

ing'  (not  occupation  of  land  without  actual  occupation 
of  the  building  situated  on  the  land.)  It  was  during  the 
debate  on  the  second  reading  of  this  Act  of  1887  that 
Cecil  Rhodes  came  to  the  front  with  a  speech  on  the 
problem  of  the  native  franchise  in  general,  which  was 
hailed  as  'epochmaking'  by  the  Cape  papers  of  the  day, 
and  which  shows  how  well  he  had  realised  the  true 
nature  and  danger  of  that  problem.  For  our  present 
purpose  only  his  concluding  words  need  be  quoted: 
'Lastly,  as  to  what  should  be  the  policy  of  South  Africa, 
he  would  say  that  it  all  rested  upon  this  native  question, 
and  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  form  a  union  of 
States  in  South  Africa  until  this  Colony  was  prepared 
to  meet  her  neighbours  in  a  settlement  of  this  question. 
This  settlement  would  mean  the  readiness  to  take  up 
an  Indian  despotism  in  dealing  with  the  barbarism  of 
South  Africa.  He  believed  that  the  Government  were 
now  pursuing  a  right  policy  in  this  matter,  and  that  this 
policy  would  meet  with  the  approval  of  a  growing  num- 
ber of  the  European  population  in  the  Transvaal  and 
this  Colony.'  The  Act  of  1887  aimed  only  at  remedying 
an  abuse  of  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution  Ordinance. 
It  did  not  touch  the  basis  of  the  property  qualification 
for  the  franchise  laid  down  by  that  Ordinance.  And 
it  was  not  till  the  year  of  1892  that  any  further  attempt 
was  made  to  alter  the  conditions  governing  the  exercise 
of  the  franchise  in  Cape  Colony.  That  attempt  was 
made  by  Cecil  Rhodes,  then  Prime  Minister.  Follow- 
ing out  the  policy  which  he  had  enunciated  in  1887,  he 
raised  the  property  qualification  for  the  franchise  from 
£25,  as  fixed  by  the  Constitution  Ordinance,  to  £75,  left 
the  salary  qualification  at  £50  per  annum,  and,  more  im- 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  57 

portant  than  either,  required  every  person  who  claimed 
a  vote  to  pass  an  educational  test." 

On  the  20th  July,  the  ladies  were  again  under  dis- 
cussion, on  a  motion  by  a  private  member  in  favour  of 
legalising  marriage  with  a  deceased  wife's  sister.  On 
the  question  that  the  Bill  be  read  a  second  time,  the 
Ministry  were  divided,  Rhodes  and  Sivewright  voting 
for  the  measure  and  their  colleagues  against.  The  divi- 
sion resulted  in  a  tie,  and  the  Speaker  gave  his  casting 
vote  for  the  second  reading.  The  Bill  eventually  passed 
both  Houses,  but  was  reserved  by  the  Governor  for  the 
signification  of  Her  Majesty's  pleasure.  On  the  2nd 
August,  Hofmeyr  moved  that  the  House  concur  in  the 
recommendation  of  the  Education  Commission,  that  in 
the  elementary  school  examination,  the  proficiency  of 
candidates  in  both  languages  should  always  be  ascer- 
tained. Rhodes  approved  of  the  proposal,  declaring  that 
the  recommendation  of  the  Commission  afforded  him 
great  pleasure,  as,  in  view  of  the  increased  intercourse 
that  would  follow  the  expansion  of  the  railway  system, 
it  behooved  Parliament  to  protect  the  two  mother  tongues 
of  the  Colony,  After  this  frank  recognition  by  the 
Premier  of  the  existence  of  the  Dutch  "taal,"  the  motion 
was  agreed  to  without  a  division.  On  19th  August,  there 
arrived  news  that  the  Conservatives  had  fallen  and 
Gladstone  was  once  more  at  the  helm.  The  "ins"  and 
"outs"  had  crossed  over  to  Osborne  the  previous  day,  the 
one  to  kiss  hands  on  appointment,  the  other  to  deliver 
up  the  seals  of  ofHce.  A  few  days  later,  on  24th  August, 
came  a  rumour  that  the  Transvaal  had  suddenly  framed 
a  new  Customs  Tariff,  bearing  with  extreme  harshness 
on  many  Cape  industries.     A  general  chorus  of  indigna- 


58  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

tion  arose  alike  from  Dutch  and  English  members.  The 
tariff  was  declared  to  be  almost  prohibitive  and  to  be 
contrary  to  agreement.  A  motion  in  the  House  to 
protest  against  the  proposed  measure  was  carried  un- 
opposed, Rhodes  being  the  only  man  to  keep  his  head, 
and  urge  members  to  say  and  do  nothing  to  disturb  the 
relations  between  the  Republic  and  the  Colony.  It  was 
by  ill-advised  and  injudicious  legislation  that  Kruger  so 
frequently  put  the  friendship  of  the  Dutch  in  the  Cape 
Colony  to  a  severe  test.  Rhodes  agreed  to  make  imme- 
diate friendly  representations  to  the  Transvaal  Govern- 
ment, but  on  29th  August  he  had  to  admit  that  they 
had  not  elicited  the  courtesy  of  a  reply,  and  a  Dutch 
member  thereupon  passionately  declared  that  the  Cape 
Dutch  papers  were  treating  the  Transvaal  too  leniently 
in  the  matter.  Rhodes,  true  to  his  conciliatory  policy, 
still  counselled  forbearance,  and  promised  the  House 
that  one  of  the  Ministry  would  visit  Pretoria  if  the 
subject  were  left  in  his  hands,  and  this  course  was  finally 
agreed  to.  This  was  the  last  important  debate  of  a 
singularly  quiet  session,  Parliament  being  prorogued  the 
same  day.  The  position  of  the  Ministry  had  never  once 
been  seriously  endangered,  and  the  prestige  of  Rhodes 
was  almost  at  high  water  mark.  He  had  passed  forty 
Acts  of  Parliament,  mostly  of  a  domestic  nature,  but  it 
is  perhaps  significant  that  existing  legislation  dealing  with 
the  Colonial  forces  was  revised  and  strengthened,  and 
that  a  measure  became  law  for  restricting  the  importa- 
tion of  arms  and  ammunition. 

Shortly  after  the  prorogation,  viz.,  on  the  3rd  Sep- 
tember, 1892,  Rhodes  and  Sivewright  started  on  a  tour 
through  the  South-Western  districts  of  the  Colony,  and 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  59 

were  at  Montague  the  following  day.  A  few  days  later 
they  were  snowed  up  in  the  Swartberg  Pass,  and  sub- 
sequently were  thrown  out  of  their  cart  and  severely 
bruised,  the  accident  resulting  in  their  having  to  return 
to  Cape  Town. 

The  Kimberley  Exhibition,  which  attracted  visitors 
from  all  parts  of  South  Africa,  was  opened  by  Governor 
Loch  on  the  12th  September,  in  the  presence  of  General 
Cameron,  the  officer  commanding  the  forces;  the  veteran 
Sir  Richard  Southey;  Mr.  Innes,  the  Attorney-General, 
and  Mr.  Sauer,  the  Commissioner  of  Works;  but,  owing 
to  his  accident,  Rhodes  was  not  there.  He  subsequently 
arrived,  however,  and  visited  the  Exhibition,  access  to 
which  is  said  to  have  been  temporarily  denied  to  him 
owing  to  his  inability  to  find  a  coin  in  his  pocket  with 
which  to  pay  the  charge  for  admission.  A  correspondent 
of  the  Times,  who  contributed  to  that  paper  from  July 
to  October,  1892,  remarked  in  one  of  his  letters,  "To 
the  Dutchman  space  is  essential  and  space  alone.  Mr. 
Rhodes  was  heard  to  say  in  a  London  drawing-room 
last  year  that  it  was  the  reading  of  Zola's  Germinal 
which  had  first  caused  him  to  realise  the  necessity  of 
providing  decent  homes  and  harmless  pleasures  for  the 
Kimberley  miner.  These  and  the  compounds  have  cre- 
ated conditions  of  life  satisfactory  to  white  and  black." 

The  opening  sentence  in  the  above  quotation  expresses 
in  few  words  a  profound  truth.  There  is  no  intensive 
cultivation  in  South  Africa.  Kipling's  "Vast  spaces 
washed  with  sun"  have  come  to  be  essential  to  the  Dutch, 
and  their  struggles  for  more  elbow  room  than  the  ex- 
igencies and  the  safety  of  the  Empire  could  allot  to  them 
were  bound,  in  the  long  run,   to  result  in  war.     But 


6o  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

through  war,  and  through  that  closer  union  which  has 
followed  war,  the  problem  of  orderly  expansion  on  the 
part  of  the  two  races,  under  one  flag,  is  in  a  fair  way 
to  be  solved.  The  allusion  of  the  Times  correspondent 
to  "decent  homes"  is,  of  course,  to  the  model  village 
of  Kenilworth,  now  so  widely  known,  where  the  white 
employees  of  the  De  Beers  Consolidated  Mines  are 
housed  in  excellent  detached  cottages,  each  with  a  garden 
plot,  and  where  a  working  man  sits  literally  under  his 
own  vine  and  fig-tree,  and  lives  a  life  of  self-respect  al- 
most unknown  to  the  denizen  of  a  crowded  slum,  for 
he  possesses  the  inestimable  advantage  of  fresh  air,  a 
church,  a  recreation  ground,  a  club  for  himself,  and  an 
elementary  school  for  his  children. 

On  26th  September,  Rhodes  spoke  at  Kimberley  to 
advocate  the  assimilation  of  the  judicial  procedure  of 
Bechuanaland  with  that  of  the  Cape  Colony.  His 
thoughts  were  ahvays  of  union,  and  of  the  welding  of 
links  of  union,  however  small.  Two  days  earlier  he 
had  dined  with  his  miners  and  declared  that  great  wealth 
begot  great  obligations,  and  that  he  for  his  part  ac- 
knowledged the  validity  of  the  doctrine  of  ransom,  and 
proposed  to  put  it  in  practice  in  his  own  case  by  develop- 
ing the  far  North. 

Sivewright,  whose  energy  in  railway  matters  was  be- 
yond praise,  was  knighted  for  his  services  about  this  date. 
He  and  Rhodes  proceeded  to  England  together  in  the 
Norham  Castle  on  5th  October,  the  Governor  being  a 
passenger  by  the  same  steamer.  Before  leaving,  Rhodes 
handed  to  me  a  formal  Power  of  Attorney,  authorising 
me  to  supervise  the  commercial  and  financial  affairs  of 
the   Chartered   Company,   of   which  he   was   managing 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  6i 

director,  the  administrative  responsibilities  remaining,  of 
course,  with  Dr.  Jameson.  He  also  handed  me  a  letter 
of  the  following  tenor: — 

"Cape  Town,  ^th  October,   1892. 

"My  dear  General, — During  my  absence  in  England 
Mr.  Michell  has  my  power  to  represent  the  Charter, 
so  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  consider  him  its  represen- 
tative till  further  notice. — Yrs., 

"C.  J.  Rhodes. 
"To  His  Excellency  General  Cameron, 
"Acting  Governor." 

On  arrival  in  England,  Rhodes  gave  the  reporters 
the  slip,  much  to  their  indignation.  I  find  him  calling 
at  the  Foreign  Office  on  27th  October  to  pay  his  respects 
to  Lord  Rosebery,  for  whom  he  entertained  a  strong 
regard.  He  was  invited  to  the  Cutlers'  Feast  at  Sheffield 
on  3rd  November  and  also,  on  the  same  day,  to  a 
banquet  given  to  Lord  Loch  at  the  Hotel  Metropole, 
but  he  abhorred  these  public  functions  of  a  carnivorous 
character,  and  was  present  at  neither.  On  29th  No- 
vember, however,  he  was  in  his  element,  addressing  a 
great  meeting  of  Chartered  shareholders  at  the  Cannon 
Street  Hotel,  the  President  of  the  Company,  the  Duke 
of  Abercorn,  presiding.  His  speech,  a  masterly  one,  is 
fully  reported  in  "Vindex."  Among  the  subjects  touched 
upon  was  that  of  the  African  Trans-Continental  Tele- 
graph Company,  one  of  his  favourite  projects.  Thus, 
"When  the  Charter  was  granted  I  formed  the  idea 
of  an  overland  telegraph  to  Egypt,  and  the  other  day, 
when  homeward  bound,  I  saw  with  alarm  that  a  section 
of  our  people  were  desirous  of  abandoning  Uganda.  I 
do  not  propose  to  fight  the  Mahdi,  but  to  deal  with 


62  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

him.  I  have  never  met  any  one  In  my  hfe  whom  it 
was  not  as  easy  to  deal  with  as  to  fight."  This  is  the 
origin  of  the  famous  phrase  "squaring  the  Mahdi"; 
but  having  succeeded  in  transacting  business  with  the 
ferocious  Matabele  Chief,  it  was  not  perhaps  wholly 
unreasonable  for  Rhodes  to  think  that  he  could  bargain 
with  the  despot  of  the  Sudan.  It  may  be  that  he  failed 
to  realise  the  religious  fanaticism  of  the  latter,  a  trait 
entirely  absent  from  the  character  of  Lo  Bengula,  but 
the  idea  underlying  his  remark  was,  in  ordinary  cases, 
a  sound  one. 

The  passage  from  which  I  have  quoted  was  character- 
istic of  Rhodes  in  another  respect.  He  was  exquisitely 
sensitive  to  any  rumour  of  the  abandonment  of  British 
territory  anywhere,  for  he  kept  always  before  him  the 
necessity  of  ample  elbow  room  for  the  expansion  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  in  whose  governing  capacity  he 
had  implicit  faith.  The  closing  words  of  his  speech 
were  a  summary  of  its  general  tenor.  "I  never,"  he 
said,  "lose  an  opportunity  of  pointing  out  to  the  people 
that  in  view  of  the  fact  that  these  islands  can  only 
support  six  out  of  their  thirty-six  millions,  and  in  view 
also  of  the  action  of  the  world  in  trying  to  exclude  our 
goods,  we  cannot  afford  to  part  with  one  inch  of  the 
world's  surface  which  affords  a  free  and  open  market 
to  the  manufactures  of  our  countrymen." 

Before  passing  away  from  the  year  1892  I  must  refer 
briefly  to  the  approaching  Transvaal  Presidential  elec- 
tion. The  candidates  were  Kruger,  Piet  Joubert  and 
Mr.  Justice  Kotze.  A  Transvaal  correspondent  wrote 
to  me  on  24th  September  that  the  better  class  Boer 
thought  the  time  had  arrived  for  a  change  of  President 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  63 

and  was  in  favour  of  electing  General  Joubert;  that  the 
back-veld  burghers  and  also  all  Concession  hunters  were 
solid  for  Kruger;  while  the  Uitlanders,  who  were  for 
Kotze,  had  no  votes.  He  added  that  the  Church  ques- 
tion, then  before  the  Courts,  was  causing  much  bad 
blood,  and  that  the  Dynamite  Monopoly  was  the  sub- 
ject of  bitter  complaint.  The  Transvaal  National  Union, 
an  Uitlander  body,  was  formed  about  this  time,  and 
it  was  to  a  deputation  of  theirs  that  Kruger  replied,  on 
the  I  St  September,  in  the  memorable  words,  "Go  back 
and  tell  your  people  I  shall  never  give  them  anything, 
and  now  let  the  storm  burst!"  During  October  I  re- 
ceived many  letters  from  the  Republic.  One  of  my 
correspondents  said:  "Sir  Henry  de  Villiers  is  here. 
I  met  him  at  dinner  last  night;  he  animadverted  strongly 
on  the  present  state  of  affairs  at  Pretoria,  and  thinks 
there  must  be  a  thorough  cleaning  out."  As  we  know, 
no  such  cleansing  of  the  Augean  stable  took  place. 
Kruger,  by  7881  votes  against  7009  for  Joubert,  was 
re-elected,  not  without  suspicion  of  the  ballot  having 
been  manipulated  by  his  friends:  affairs  then  went  from 
bad  to  worse  until  the  Ship  of  State  finally  drifted  on 
the  rocks.  In  November,  Rhodes  addressed  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs. 

''Most  confidential. 

"My  Lord, — Understanding  that  Her  Majesty's 
Government  is  considering  the  question  of  the  retention 
of  Uganda  under  her  protection,  I  think  it  well  to  state 
for  their  information  that  I  am  prepared  to  extend  at 
once  the  line  of  Telegraph  from  Salisbury,  the  capital 
of  Mashonaland,  to  Uganda,  without  asking  Her 
Majesty's  Government  for  any  contribution.     I  would 


64  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

point  out  that  it  may  be  necessary  to  obtain  the  sanction 
of  the  German  Government  for  the  construction  of  that 
portion  of  the  line  which  would  pass  through  their  East 
African  territory.  I  would  therefore  ask,  provided  this 
right  is  not  already  secured  by  treaty,  that  Her  Majesty's 
Government  should  take  such  steps  as  they  may  consider 
necessary  to  obtain  it.  It  may  be  well  to  state  that  I 
seek  no  monopoly  in  the  German  territory,  all  I  wish 
is  to  have  the  right  of  construction,  and  I  beg,  provided 
Her  Majesty's  Government  concur  in  my  proposal,  that 
action  should  be  taken  without  relay,  as  I  am  particularly 
desirous  to  order  the  necessary  material  before  returning 
to  the  Cape,  so  as  to  commence  the  construction  at  once 
and  complete  with  all  possible  despatch. 

"The  British  South  Africa  Company  constructed  the 
line  from  Maf eking  to  Salisbury,  about  looo  miles  in 
length,  in  less  than  i8  months,  and  in  my  judgment, 
considering  the  facilities  of  water  transit  afforded  by 
the  Lake  system,  I  could  complete  the  line  to  Uganda 
in  a  similar  time.  The  extension  northwards  from  Salis- 
bury will,  according  to  the  arrangements  I  have  already 
made,  pass  via  Blantyre,  near  to  which  Her  Majesty's 
Commissioner,  Mr,  H.  H.  Johnston,  resides,  up  Lake 
Nyasa  and  from  there  to  the  southern  end  of  Lake 
Tanganyika.  Beyond  Tanganyika  I  shall  be  prepared 
to  extend  the  line  to  whatever  point  in  Uganda  Her 
Majesty's  Government  may  desire.  I  may  add  that  my 
ultimate  object  is  to  connect  with  the  Telegraph  system 
now  existing  in  Egypt,  which  I  believe  extends  as  far 
as  Wady  Haifa,  but  I  am  fully  aware  that  under  ex- 
isting circumstances  at  Khartoum  such  an  undertaking 
cannot  be  at  present  carried  out." 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  6s 

It  will  be  observed  that  he  confines  himself  to  strict 
business,  and  does  not  touch  on  the  delicate  question 
of  the  abandonment  of  Uganda.  In  the  event,  the 
territory  is  still  ours,  and  promises  to  become  a  great 
and  prosperous  Colony.  But  although  the  letter  I  have 
quoted  made  no  allusion  to  high  politics,  there  is  reason 
to  believe  that  Rhodes  made  strong  verbal  representa- 
tions to  the  party  in  power,  as  he  did  not  feel  altogether 
at  ease  as  to  Gladstone's  intentions.  He  had  been  read- 
ing Russell's  book.  The  Ruin  of  the  Sudan,  and  was 
much  struck  by  some  letters  therein  from  Mr.  Francis 
William  Fox,  a  keen  advocate  of  railways  and  tele- 
graphs as  civilising  factors,  who  pressed  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  line,  since  built,  from  Mombasa  to  the 
Victoria  Nyanza.  The  Anti-Slavery  Society  were  also, 
for  once,  on  the  side  of  the  Empire,  and  urged  the 
retention  of  territory  where,  if  anywhere,  it  was  in  our 
power  to  make  a  successful  effort  to  heal  what  Liv- 
ingstone had  rightly  called  "the  open  sore  of  the  world." 

It  is  easy  to  see  now  that  the  desire  of  Rhodes  to 
throw  a  wire  across  the  Dark  Continent  was  doomed  to 
failure.  He  was  too  early,  because  the  Imperial  spirit 
stirred  by  Beaconsfield  was  still  in  half-slumbering  mood. 
He  was  too  late,  because  statesmen  responsible  for  our 
destinies  had  permitted  other  nations  to  occupy  territory 
along  the  line  of  route,  and  effectually  bar  the  com- 
pletion of  an  "all  red"  line.  But,  so  far  as  the  telegraph 
wires  have  penetrated,  they  have  been  of  essential  ser- 
vice to  mankind.  Financially,  the  project  may  not  be  a 
success.  Some  of  the  world's  greatest  achievements  are 
not  translatable  into  visible  profit  in  pounds  sterling.  But 
a  wire  from  Cape  Town  to  Tete  and  far  Ujiji,  though 


(>G  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

only  a  fraction  of  the  original  scheme,  is  successful  in 
accelerating  communication  between  otherwise  sundered 
communities,  in  checking  the  slave  trade,  promoting 
civilisation,  and  helping  the  pioneers  of  our  race  to  push 
ever  forward  on  their  high  and  fruitful  mission  to  re- 
plenish the  earth  and  subdue  it.  The  line,  as  it  stands, 
is  a  living  testimony  to  the  genius  and  determination  of 
Cecil  Rhodes.  It  must,  however,  be  frankly  admitted 
that  his  references  to  the  Trans-Continental  Telegraph 
line  were  ill-received  in  the  city.  The  fear  of  the  Mahdi 
was  wide-spread,  the  project  was  characterised  in  some 
quarters  as  of  the  "wild-cat"  order  and  as  a  will-o'-the- 
wisp.  "Magnificent,"  said  the  Stock  Exchange,  "but  not 
business."  The  shares  of  the  Chartered  Company  flut- 
tered and  fell,  and  Rhodes  alone  held  on  his  way,  resolute 
and  unafraid. 

While  in  England,  he  received  the  unwelcome  in- 
telligence that  there  were  internal  dissensions  in  his  Min- 
istry of  a  menacing  nature,  his  colleagues  being  unani- 
mous in  desiring  the  retirement  of  Sir  James  Sivewright. 
A  considerable  amount  of  communication  by  cable  failed 
to  result  in  an  amicable  settlement  of  the  dispute.  With 
a  view  to  smooth  matters  over,  he  proposed,  or  the 
solution  was  proposed  to  him,  that  Sir  Charles  Mills, 
the  Agent-General,  should  be  placed  on  pension  and 
his  office  filled  by  Merriman,  who,  in  turn,  could  be 
succeeded,  it  was  thought,  by  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg,  on 
whose  readiness  to  join  any  Ministry  it  was  always  con- 
sidered safe  to  rely.  But  the  crisis  was  not  to  be  averted 
by  such  a  measure  as  this.  Persons  whose  retirement  is 
arranged  for  them  frequently  show  a  strange  disinclina- 
tion to  recognise  the  expediency  of  the  course  proposed. 


THE  FIRST  RHODES  MINISTRY  67 

It  was  so  in  this  case.  Sir  Charles  declined  to  retire, 
the  scheme  fell  through,  and  towards  the  end  of  De- 
cember Rhodes  left  England  for  the  Cape,  but  by  the 
leisurely  Eastern  route  via  Marseilles,  Egypt,  Delagoa 
Bay  and  the  Transvaal.  His  choice  of  route  was  dictated 
by  business  reasons  of  a  very  important  nature,  as  will 
appear  later  on.  He  arrived  in  Cape  Town  on  the  8th 
March,  1893,  but  Sivewright  did  not  return  until  nearly 
the  close  of  April. 

At  the  risk,  of  unduly  prolonging  this  chapter,  I  must 
refer  to  one  pleasing  incident  which  passes  like  a  ray  of 
light  across  the  gloomy  atmosphere  of  the  year.  On 
13th  May,  1892,  Governor  Loch  wrote  to  President 
Reitz  of  the  Free  State,  who  had  succeeded  Sir  John 
Brand,  that  It  was  reported  to  him  that  the  graves  of 
the  British  officers  and  soldiers  who  fell  at  Boomplaats 
in  1848  were  in  a  state  of  serious  disrepair,  and  he  in- 
quired whether  the  Government  of  the  Republic  would 
authorise  him  to  do  what  was  necessary  in  the  matter. 
On  1 8th  May  Reitz  replied  promising  prompt  investiga- 
tion, and  adding,  "Should  it  be  found  that  the  graves 
require  repair,  I  hope  you  will  permit  our  Government 
to  show  its  respect  for  the  brave  British  soldiers  who  fell 
there,  by  having  the  necessary  repairs  effected  at  our 
own  cost." 

The  offer,  so  courteously  made,  was  gratefully  ac- 
cepted; the  graves  were  repaired  and  restored,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall,  and  on  30th  June,  the  Queen,  with 
the  graceful  tact  which  never  failed  her,  sent  to  the 
President  an  expression  of  her  high  appreciation  of  his 
action  in  the  matter. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY:  SESSION  OF  1893 

The  Sivewright  quarrel — Abortive  negotiations — Hofmeyr  declines  to 
take  office — Chief  Justice  and  Rhodes — Rhodes  resigns — Forms 
new  Ministry — Parliament  opens — The  dual  position  again — Innes 
on  the  Logan  contract — Heated  debates — Colonial  wines — Rhodes 
on  the  tarifif — West  Coast  Railway — Rhodes  advocates  a  Minister 
for  Agriculture — Rhodes  on  German  South-west  Africa — Fore- 
shadows general  election — Condemns  Transvaal  policy — Proroga- 
tion of  Parliament — Rhodes  at  Kimberley. 

I  NOW  arrive  at  a  painful  chapter  in  the  career  of 
Rhodes  as  Premier  of  the  Cape  Colony,  in  other  words 
at  the  dissolution  and  reconstruction  of  his  Ministry, 
which  left  him  still  at  the  head  of  affairs  but  shorn  of 
his  closest  friends  and  most  experienced  colleagues.  I 
record  the  circumstances.  I  do  not  seek  to  apportion  the 
blame.     The  parties  have  all  spoken  for  themselves. 

The  storm  had  long  been  threatening  to  burst.  Sir 
James  Sivewright  was  connected  with  more  than  one 
public  company  whose  affairs  were  the  subject  of  private 
gossip  and  press  comment.  So  far  back  as  the  21st 
May,  1 89 1,  Sir  James  Rose-Innes,  a  man  of  the  nicest 
sense  of  honour,  had  written  to  Rhodes  that  the 
Johannesburg  Waterworks  Company,  of  which  Sive- 
wright was  a  director,  was  being  made  the  subject  of 
serious  allegations,  and  he  went  on  to  suggest  that  Sive- 
wright should  be  called  upon  to  clear  himself.  The  in- 
cident seems  to  have  blown  over,  but  other  causes  for 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        69 

distrust  arose,  and  on  his  arrival  at  the  Cape  Rhodes 
found  himself  in  the  thick  of  a  Ministerial  crisis,  and 
was  called  upon  to  take  sides  in  a  dispute  between  those 
who  had  hitherto  worked  under  him  in,  at  all  events, 
outward  harmony.  Such  quarrels  were  very  distasteful 
to  him,  but  this  one  there  was  no  avoiding  except  by 
sacrificing  three  colleagues  or  one.  Most  Prime  Min- 
isters, acting  along  the  line  of  least  resistance,  would 
have  sided  with  the  majority,  but  this  was  not  always 
his  way.  Merriman,  Sauer,  and  Innes  declined  abso- 
lutely to  sit  in  the  same  Cabinet  as  Sivewright,  and 
Rhodes  was  reluctant  to  eject  the  latter  on  grounds  which 
he  apparently  deemed  inadequate.  In  this  emergency  he 
offered  to  retire  in  favour  of  Hofmeyr,  but  that  astute 
statesman  declined  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  office. 
Rhodes  then  approached  the  Chief  Justice,  Sir  Henry 
de  Villiers,  offering  to  serve  under  him  without  portfolio, 
on  the  ground  that  his  frequent  but  unavoidable  absences 
from  the  Colony  rendered  his  relinquishment  of  office 
desirable.  He  added,  however,  that  he  would  serve  un- 
der no  chiefs  but  De  Villiers  or  Hofmeyr,  Sir  Henry, 
in  the  course  of  an  hour's  conversation  on  Tuesday,  28th 
April,  1893,  intimated  that  the  Premiership  had  no  at- 
tractions for  him,  save  to  promote  that  policy  of  Federa- 
tion which  he  believed  he  and  Rhodes  both  had  at  heart. 
The  two  men  met  again  that  evening  at  Wynberg,  and 
again  the  following  morning.  On  this  latter  occasion 
Rhodes  committed  the  mistake  of  producing  a  list  of 
the  members  of  a  proposed  Cabinet  drawn  up  in  Hof- 
meyr's  handwriting.  To  this  the  Chief  Justice,  not  un- 
naturally, demurred,  stating  that  if  he  formed  an  Ad- 
ministration, he  must  choose  the  Ministers  himself.     He 


70  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

added  that  he  might  not  improbably  offer  an  appoint- 
ment to  one  or  more  of  the  dissentient  three.  To  this 
Hofmeyr,  and  possibly  Rhodes  also,  raised  objections, 
and  after  some  further  fruitless  negotiations,  the  project 
fell  through,  Rhodes  writing,  "I  found  your  conditions 
impossible  to  carry  out,  so  must  do  my  best  to  pull 
through."  There  remained,  of  course,  the  alternative 
of  submission  to  the  demand  of  his  three  colleagues,  but 
for  reasons  only  imperfectly  known,  Rhodes,  wisely  or 
unwisely,  was  indisposed  to  do  this,  and  on  3rd  May 
he  placed  his  resignation  in  the  hands  of  the  Governor, 
a  resignation  which  involved  that  of  all  his  colleagues. 
On  the  following  day  he  entered  on  his  second  Ministry 
which,  so  far  as  he  himself  was  concerned,  was  merely 
a  prolongation  of  the  first.  All  the  Ministers  whose 
differences  had  created  the  crisis  were  excluded,  and 
the  service  of  the  country  was  the  poorer  for  the  exclu- 
sion. Sprigg,  as  had  been  anticipated,  readily  succeeded 
Merriman.  He  would  have  taken  command  of  the  Chan- 
nel Fleet  with  equal  alacrity.  John  Laing,  another  oppo- 
nent, succeeded  Sivewright.  Sauer's  office  of  Colonial 
Secretary  was  filled  by  Mr. — now  Sir  Pieter — Faure, 
who  had  previously  been  Secretary  for  Native  Affairs. 
The  latter  duties  were  temporarily  entrusted  to  a  re- 
spected Colonist,  Mr. — now  Sir  John — Frost,  but  in 
the  ensuing  session  Rhodes  carried  an  Act  abolishing  the 
office  and  requiring  the  Prime  Minister  to  discharge  its 
functions.  It  was  thus  he  became  associated  with  Native 
Affairs;  hence  his  subsequent  passage  of  the  well-known 
Glen  Grey  Act.  The  Attorney-Generalship,  held  by 
Innes  with  general  acceptance,  was  given  to  Mr.  W.  P. 
Schreiner,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more  at  a  later  stage. 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        71 

The  text  of  his  letter  assenting  to  the  offer  of  the  office 
runs  as  follows : — 

"Cape  Town,  Tuesday  Evening,  2/5/93. 
"My  dear  Rhodes, — I  was  sorry  to  be  away  when 
you  called.  As  soon  as  I  came  home  I  went  round  and 
saw  Hofmeyr,  who  explained  the  object  of  your  visit. 
I  can  work.  If  you  wish  me.  In  the  association  which 
you  mentioned;  and  I  told  Hofmeyr  so.  I  wish  you 
would  get  a  more  experienced  man  than  I  at  present  am 
In  the  hurly-burly:  but  I  bellev^e  that  we  shall  work  well 
together  If  the  opportunity  ranges  me  by  your  side,  and 
I  shall  be  proud  to  work  with  you.  I  only  write  In  case 
I  miss  seeing  you  to-morrow  morning.  I  must  'fry  fish' 
in  Court  at  10  o'clock. — Yours  truly, 

"W.  P.  Schreiner." 

I  must  not  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  recording  here 
the  following  manly  note  from  one  of  Rhodes's  outgoing 
colleagues : — 

"Cape  Town,  4?/?  May,  1893. 
"My  dear  Rhodes, — Only  a  word.  The  coming  and 
going  of  Ministers  must  be:  but  our  severance  Is  to  m.e 
a  pain.  I  shall  ever  look  back  to  my  association  with 
you  as  one  of  the  honours  and  pleasures  of  my  life. — 
Your  sincere  friend,  J.  W.  Sauer." 

On  the  1 6th  June,  Sir  Henry  Loch  opened  Parliament. 
His  speech  referred  to  negotiations  as  having  taken 
place  with  the  Transvaal  regarding  their  Imposition  of 
onerous  duties  on  Cape  products,  but  no  settlement  was 


72  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

foreshadowed.  His  Excellency  reported  the  opening  to 
Pretoria  of  the  railway  constructed  with  Cape  money, 
and  went  on  to  say  that  a  Bills  of  Exchange  Act  would 
be  introduced.  It  was  about  time.  Up  till  then  the  Cape, 
almost  alone  among  British  Colonies,  possessed  no  legis- 
lation dealing  with  negotiable  instruments.  It  should  be 
remembered  in  commercial  circles  to  the  credit  of  Rhodes 
that  both  the  Bank  Act  and  Bills  of  Exchange  Act  were 
due  to  his  initiative.  At  the  first  sitting  of  the  House  an 
irrepressible  Irish  member,  O'Reilly,  uninfluenced  by 
Rhodes's  support  of  Irish  Home  Rule,  gave  notice  of 
motion,  "That  in  the  interests  of  the  country  it  is  im- 
politic and  undesirable  that  the  official  representative  of 
the  B.S.A.  Company  should  be  Prime  Minister  of  the 
Colony."  The  sober  pages  of  Hansard  drily  record  that 
the  notice  was  received  with  laughter,  laughter  no  doubt 
accentuated  at  the  sight  of  Sprigg  and  Laing  sitting 
alongside  Rhodes  on  the  Treasury  benches.  It  may  be 
added  here  that  O'Reilly,  too,  in  his  turn,  became  an 
ardent  admirer  of  Rhodes  and  defended  him,  later  on, 
with  wit  and  vigour  truly  Hibernian  against  all  comers. 
Without  further  delay  Rhodes  rose  in  a  crowded  house 
to  make  a  brief  explanation  of  the  recent  crisis. 

"I  have  now,"  he  said,  "to  state  to  the  House  what 
has  occurred  since  our  last  meeting.  Owing  to  differ- 
ences which  arose  between  some  of  the  Ministers,  it 
was  found  impossible  to  maintain  that  harmonious  action 
that  the  conduct  of  public  business  demands.  (Hear, 
hear,  and  laughter.)  I  therefore  handed  in  my  resigna- 
tion and  that  of  my  colleagues  to  the  Governor.  His 
Excellency  was  pleased  to  accept  the  same  and  to  entrust 
me  with  the  formation  of  another  Ministry.     We  now 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        73 

present  ourselves  to  the  House  with  the  object  of  con- 
tinuing the  government  of  the  country,  that  is,  If  we 
obtain  the  support  of  the  House  to  those  measures  which 
we  shall  bring  forward  in  the  public  interest." 

It  is  obvious  that  a  Ministerial  crisis  of  the  severity 
of  character  I  have  just  recorded  could  not,  in  any 
Parliament,  be  allowed  to  pass  without  further  explana- 
tion than  this.  The  facts  were  of  public  notoriety  and 
the  comments  of  the  press  had  been  of  a  diversified 
nature.  The  seceding  Ministers,  if  the  term  may  be 
fitly  used,  owed  it  to  themselves,  to  their  constituents, 
and  to  the  country,  to  give  clear  expression  to  the  mo- 
tives which  had  compelled  them,  for  conscience's  sake, 
to  break  up  an  exceptionally  strong  Administration  In 
the  zenith  of  its  power.  They  entrusted  their  defence 
to  Innes,  whose  reputation  for  Impartiality  stood  de- 
servedly high.  He  now  rose  to  state  that  the  Ministry 
had  not  been  rent  asunder  on  any  question  of  policy, 
but  on  considerations  of  principle  and  honour.  Three 
of  the  Ministers,  he  said,  found  themselves  unable  any 
longer  to  give  their  confidence  to  a  fourth,  while  the 
latter,  nevertheless,  still  received  the  support  of  his  chief. 
He  recalled  how  Rhodes  and  Sivewright  in  the  first  week 
of  October,  1892,  sailed  for  England,  and  how  their 
colleagues,  left  behind  to  carry  on  the  business  of  the 
country,  discovered  a  few  weeks  later  that  Sivewright, 
in  his  capacity  as  Commissioner  of  Railways,  had  entered, 
before  sailing,  upon  a  new  Railway  Refreshment  con- 
tract giving  increased  and  undue  advantages  to  a  per- 
sonal friend.  Ministerial  investigation  elicited  that  on 
13th  September  the  contractor  had  applied  for  what 
was  a  virtual  monopoly,  and  that  Sivewright  had  assented 


74  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

to  it.  "The  Colonial  Secretary,"  added  Innes,  "was  away 
and  so  was  Mr.  Sauer.  We  decided  to  await  their 
return,  but  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Rhodes  on  8th  November 
that  the  contractor  had  been  given  a  monopoly  for  twenty 
years,  without  the  lease  being  submitted  to  the  Attorney- 
General's  Office.  I  requested  him  to  show  the  letter 
to  Sivewrlght,  adding  that  it  was  a  job  and  I  disliked 
hanky-panky.  On  i8th  November,  after  a  Cabinet 
Council,  we  cabled  to  the  Premier  urging  him  to  cancel 
the  contract.  The  same  day  we  received  a  joint  cable 
reply  that  the  contract  was  given  on  the  advice  of  the 
railway  authorities,  but  that  they  (Rhodes  and  Sive- 
wright)  would  confirm  whatever  we  did.  So  far,  so 
good.  We  replied  that  the  contract  must  be  cancelled. 
Later  on,  we  cabled  to  Sivewright  direct  that  Hofmeyr 
and  Graaff  advised  us  that  the  contract  was  known  and 
was  causing  grave  dissatisfaction,  weakening  the  Min- 
istry and  placing  its  friends  in  a  false  position.  I  added, 
'Retreat  in  time,  show  Rhodes.'  What  was  my  surprise 
to  find  on  the  latter's  return  that  he  had  never  been 
shown  the  cable!  The  contract  had  been  given  to  a 
personal  friend,  without  tenders  and  without  the 
knowledge  of  colleagues,  and  we  repudiated  it.  The 
contractor  took  legal  proceedings,  claiming  fulfilment  of 
the  contract  or  £50,000  damages.  We  pleaded  that  the 
contract  was  not  in  the  public  interest  and  advised  Sive- 
wright of  the  plea,  whereupon  he  replied  that  he  could 
not  concur  as  he  was  convinced  the  contract  was  in  the 
public  interest.  We  rejoined  that  the  plea  was  the  only 
possible  one  under  the  circumstances,  and  we  inquired 
if  he  wished  the  trial  delayed  until  after  his  return.  On 
15th  February,  Sivewright  protested  against  the  repudi- 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        75 

ation  of  the  contract,  adding  that  he  was  sailing  on  the 
I  ith  March.  On  i6th  February  we  cabled  that  we  were 
unanimous,  including  Faure." 

Innes  went  on  to  describe  other  immaterial  cables  and 
futile  negotiations  for  an  amicable  settlement,  failing 
which  on  the  2nd  May  his  resignation  and  that  of  his 
two  colleagues  were  drawn  up,  but  were  not  actually 
sent  in,  when,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  Rhodes 
himself  resigned  rather  than  repudiate  the  Commissioner 
of  Railways.  "It  is  not  a  light  thing,"  Innes  added,  "to 
leave  a  Ministry,  but,  speaking  for  myself,  there  were 
considerations  which  rendered  freedom  from  the  tram- 
mels of  the  Treasury  benches  not  altogether  displeasing 
to  me.  We  have  been  called  mutinous  Ministers.  Muti- 
nous against  whom?  Not  mutinous  against  the  Premier. 
(Cheers.)  Mutinous  against  monopolies?  If  so,  I  am 
proud  to  be  a  mutineer.  The  country  will  now  pass 
judgment :  to  that  verdict  we  shall  bow  and  we  await  it 
with  confidence."     (Loud  cheers.) 

Sivewright,  defending  himself,  admitted  that  Rhodes 
telegraphed  to  him  in  Scotland  that  he  thought  the  con- 
tract should  be  cancelled,  but  he  still  maintained  that 
it  was  a  good  bargain  for  the  Colony  and  that,  for  his 
part,  he  left  a  stainless  record  behind  him.  Merriman 
and  Sauer  both  spoke,  but  declared  that  they  had  little 
to  add  to  what  had  been  said  by  Innes,  with  every  word 
in  whose  speech  they  fully  concurred.  The  discussion 
then  terminated,  but  on  20th  June,  Sivewright,  in  a 
speech  of  portentous  length,  moved  for  all  papers  con- 
nected with  the  contract.  A  debate  ensued  in  which 
both  Innes  and  Merriman  spoke,  after  which  the  motion 
was  agreed  to.     On  the  following  day  Sauer,  by  leave 


76  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

of  the  House,  made  a  personal  explanation,  to  deny  what 
he  understood  had  been  stated  in  the  previous  debate, 
viz. :  that  he  and  his  friends  had  offered  to  resume  office 
on  conditions.  Rhodes,  who  had  rather  kept  out  of  the 
fray,  now  rose  and  recapitulated  the  steps  he  had  taken 
to  heal  the  breach  amongst  his  colleagues.  Innes  and 
Merriman  replied  defending  the  stand  they  had  made 
for  purity  in  the  administration  of  public  affairs,  the 
latter  exclaiming,  "Why  did  the  Prime  Minister,  who 
is  generally  considered  a  man  of  extraordinary  ability, 
sacrifice  three  colleagues  who  had  done  nothing  (Hear, 
hear),  who  had  the  confidence  of  the  country  (Hear 
hear) ,  against  whose  Departments  there  was  not  a  breath 
of  complaint?"  Sivewright  replied  and  the  matter  again 
dropped. 

On  2  2nd  June,  O'Reilly  brought  forward  his  motion 
against  the  dual  position,  and  made  sarcastic  reference 
to  the  pliability  of  Sprigg  in  joining  Rhodes.  Scherm- 
brucker,  a  subsequent  speaker,  declared  that  Rhodes  had 
publicly  asserted  that  every  man  could  be  squared.  This 
brought  Rhodes  indignantly  to  his  feet.  "I  said,"  he 
remarked,  "that  it  was  easier  to  deal  amicably  with  a 
man  than  to  fight  him.  In  other  words,  if  one  sat  down 
and  reasoned  with  a  man  it  was  almost  always  possible 
to  arrive  at  a  settlement.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the 
phrase !"  He  then  went  on  to  defend  his  dual  position 
and  the  opportunity  it  gave  him  of  pushing  the  interests 
and  even  the  boundaries  of  the  Colony,  and  upon  a 
division,  he  had  an  extraordinary  triumph,  O'Reilly  be- 
ing beaten  by  56  to  2, 

On  29th  June,  Krige,  a  Dutch  member,  moved  for 
papers  relating  to  the  Imperial  duties  on  Colonial  wines. 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        77 

In  reply  Rhodes  narrated  the  steps  he  had  taken  when 
in  England  to  bring  the  question  before  Her  Majesty's 
Government  in  order  to  obtain  rehef,  and  he  read  a 
letter  he  had  written  to  Sir  William  Harcourt  showing 
how  the  Cape  wine  trade  had  been  ruined  by  the  Cobden 
Treaty.  The  difficulty,  he  went  on  to  explain,  was  that 
Treaties  existed  with  foreign  Powers  which  prevented 
the  mother  country  making  any  Tariff  Concession  to 
her  Colonies.  Several  members  of  the  Liberal  Cabinet 
had  assured  him,  however,  that  as  soon  as  they  saw 
British  sentiment  turn  in  the  direction  of  such  preference, 
they  would  take  steps  in  accordance  therewith.  He,  per- 
sonally, believed  that  the  Empire  as  a  whole  was  tending 
in  the  direction  of  a  freer  interchange  of  goods  and 
produce  on  a  preferential  basis  as  to  the  rest  of  the 
world.  The  papers  called  for  were  then  laid  on  the 
table. 

On  the  same  day  another  private  member  asked  if 
any  line  of  railway  was  in  contemplation,  starting  from 
Walfisch  Bay.  Rhodes  replied  that  no  proposals  had 
been  made  to  his  Government  regarding  such  a  line,  nor 
would  he  enter  upon  negotiations  without  submitting 
them  to  the  House.  He  admitted,  however,  that,  in 
his  opinion,  there  was  a  distinct  possibility  of  Walfisch 
Bay  eventually  competing  for  South  African  trade,  but 
he  had  been  careful  in  all  dealings  between  the  Chartered 
Company  and  Her  Majesty's  Government  on  railway 
construction,  to  stipulate  that  no  competing  line  should 
enter  the  Protectorate  without  the  Company's  consent. 
This  he  had  done  to  protect  Cape  trade,  and  he  was  will- 
ing to  transfer  this  Concession  to  the  Cape.  Accord- 
ingly on   5th  July  a  birthday  present  from   Rhodes  in 


78  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  shape  of  a  letter  from  the  British  South  Africa 
Company  was  read  to  the  House  stating,  that  by  agree- 
ment between  Her  Majesty's  Government  and  the  Com- 
pany, no  competing  line  of  railway  from  the  West  Coast 
to  any  point  in  Bechuanaland  or  the  Protectorate  would 
be  constructed  without  the  sanction  of  the  Company,  the 
latter  having  an  exclusive  right  to  build  such  line. 
Rhodes  now  gave  the  House  his  assurance  that  the  Com- 
pany's rights  would  not  be  exercised  without  the  approval 
of  the  Cape  Parliament. 

On  yth  July  a  warm  discussion  took  place  upon 
another  of  Sivewright's  railway  contracts,  that  dealing 
with  the  cartage  of  goods  at  Johannesburg.  Unedifying 
charges  were  made  and  the  production  of  papers  called 
for.  On  the  loth  July,  Sivewright  moved  for  a  Select 
Committee  to  investigate  the  Refreshment  Contract, 
which  was  agreed  to,  but  his  novel  proposal  to  elect  its 
members  by  ballot  was  opposed  by  Innes  who  moved, 
as  an  alternative,  that  Rhodes  should  nominate  the  mem- 
bers, as  the  House  had  full  confidence  in  the  Premier's 
impartiality.  It  was  a  courteous  and  even  a  magnani- 
mous offer,  but  Rhodes  shrank  from  the  dehcate  duty 
and  moved  that  the  matter  be  left  to  Mr.  Speaker, 
which  was  agreed  to.  Later  in  the  same  day,  Rhodes 
moved  the  second  reading  of  a  Bill  to  create  a  Minister 
of  Agriculture,  and  spoke  strongly  for  agriculture  as 
the  real  permanent  interest  of  a  country  rather  than 
mining,  the  nature  of  which  was  precarious.  "There 
is,"  he  said,  "a  bottom  to  every  mine."  The  debate 
was  adjourned. 

On  the  25th  July  Merriman  moved  for  papers  con- 
nected with  the  proposed   renewal   of   a   Railway   and 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        79 

Customs  Convention  with  the  Orange  Free  State. 
Rhodes,  in  reply,  mentioned  incidentally  that  on  his  way 
back  from  Europe  via  the  East  Coast  route,  he  had 
visited  the  Republics  and  discussed  the  whole  question 
with  the  President  at  Bloemfontein.  He  had  hoped  the 
House  would  not  tie  the  hands  of  Ministers.  On  this 
hint  the  motion  was  withdrawn.  His  speech  gave  great 
pleasure  to  President  Reitz,  as  the  subjoined  letter  will 
show. 

"KL'^NTOOR  VAN   DEN   StAATSPRESIDENT, 

"Bloemfontein,  2Sth  July,  1893. 
"My  dear  Mr.  Rhodes, — I  have  read  your  speech  on 
Railways — report  of  which  you  kindly  sent  me — with 
much  pleasure.  What  you  say  there  is  as  true  as 
gospel,  and  as  clear  as  'twice  one  are  two.' — Yours 
truly,  F.  W.  Reitz." 

On  28th  July,  Rhodes,  after  a  powerful  speech,  carried 
the  second  reading  of  the  "Minister  for  Agriculture 
Bill."  On  7th  August,  in  discussion  on  the  estimates, 
an  important  question  was  raised.  A  private  member 
complained  that  the  Government  of  German  South  West 
Africa  was  permitted  to  Import  arms  and  ammunition 
Into  the  Territory  through  the  Cape  port  of  Walfisch 
Bay,  while  private  traders  were  under  prohibition  even 
when  British  subjects.  Rhodes,  In  reply,  said,  "There 
is  no  unfairness  In  the  matter.  Any  British  subject 
desiring  to  land  arms  and  ammunition  for  the  purposes 
of  legitimate  trade,  can  apply  to  the  Magistrate  for  a 
permit.  The  question  has  to  be  treated  with  delicacy  be- 
cause there  Is  already  a  certain  feeling  aroused  in  Ger- 
many, owing  to  my  recently  stating  that  no  line  of  Rail- 


8o  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

way  will  be  allowed  to  enter  the  Bechuanaland  Protec- 
torate from  any  port  on  the  West  Coast,  but  that  the 
basis  of  the  South  African  Railway  system  must  be  Cape 
Town.  I  hold  that  after  our  immense  expenditure  on 
Docks  here  It  would  be  foolish  for  us  to  assist  any  rival 
port  to  develop  our  trade  with  the  Interior." 

On  14th  August,  the  Select  Committee  on  the  Railway 
Refreshment  Contract  reported,  condemning  the  Contract 
on  four  main  grounds — its  long  duration,  Its  non-sub- 
mission to  the  Attorney-General,  its  completion  without 
public  tender,  its  virtual  monopoly.  Its  cancellation  was 
declared  to  be  justified.  This  was,  of  course,  a  triumph 
for  the  seceding  Ministers. 

On  the  15th  August  the  House  was  Informed  that 
there  would  be  a  general  election  about  the  middle  of 
January,  1894,  and  on  the  ensuing  day  De  Waal  renewed 
the  old  complaint  regarding  the  unfriendly  action  of  the 
Republics  in  imposing  high  duties  on  Colonial  products. 
Rhodes  made  a  conciliatory  reply,  praising  the  action 
of  the  Orange  Free  State,  but  admitting  that,  although 
he  had  done  all  In  his  power,  by  remonstrance,  to  in- 
fluence the  Transvaal  to  agree  to  closer  commercial  rela- 
tions, he  had  failed.  "Our  waggons,"  he  said,  "our  fruit, 
wine,  grain,  butter,  even  our  cattle,  are  being  heavily 
taxed.  We  have  been  promised  consideration,  but  the 
Volksraad  has  done  nothing.  The  President  is  in  favour 
of  a  system  which  refuses  the  franchise  to  seven-tenths 
of  the  population,  and  rejects  commercial  relations  with 
a  friendly  and  neighbouring  State,  which  had  come  for- 
ward to  help  him  in  time  of  need.  Read  history  and 
see  If  It  be  possible  for  this  to  continue.  The  Trans- 
vaal cannot  isolate  herself  In  this  way.     Meanwhile,  we 


THE  SECOND  RHODES  MINISTRY        8i 

may  be  thankful  that  our  route  to  the  Zambesi  and  be- 
yond is  open  and  free,  and  that  the  far  North  will  some 
day  be  a  portion  of  the  Cape  Colony.  We  must  then 
be  patient  and  not  lose  our  tempers.  Our  only  course 
is  to  maintain  a  statesmanlike  and  dignified  position." 

The  motion  for  papers  was  hereupon  withdrawn.  A 
careful  study  of  this  utterance  will  detect  a  veiled  threat 
behind  its  correct  phraseology.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  the  President  did  not  read  between  the  lines  and 
become  a  member  of  the  South  African  concert,  instead 
of  holding  aloof  in  an  attitude  of  unfriendly  isolation. 
But  he  did  not  read  history,  as  his  great  rival  assidu- 
ously did. 

On  7th  September,  the  House,  without  debate,  ap- 
proved of  the  Select  Committee's  Report  on  the  Railway 
Refreshment  Contract,  and  two  days  later  Parliament 
was  prorogued  without  the  customary  formality  of  a 
Governor's  speech.  Thirty-five  Acts  of  Parliament  had 
been  added  to  the  Statute  Book.  On  the  whole, 
Rhodes  surmounted  the  difficulties  of  the  session  with 
greater  ease  than  might  have  been  expected.  But  there 
was  no  factious  opposition.  His  three  ex-colleagues 
were  still  under  the  spell  of  his  personality  and  treated 
him  with  considerate  courtesy.  Later  on,  other  and 
graver  differences  arose  to  widen  the  breach.  But  at 
present  their  attitude  was  one  of  friendly  neutrality 
rather  than  acrimonious  opposition.  They  had  a  griev- 
ance, many  will  say  a  legitimate  grievance,  for  Ministers 
are  but  men,  and  men,  especially  when  struggling  for 
what  they  honestly  believe  to  be  the  cause  of  purity  in 
public  life,  cannot  be  unmoved  when  they  see  themselves 
deserted  by  a  Chief  to  whom  they  were  undeniably  loyal. 


82  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Their  patriotic  conduct  merits,  therefore,  commendation 
from  all  who  hold  with  Wellington  that  the  Queen's 
Government  must  be  carried  on. 

It  is  noticeable  that  Rhodes  found  time  to  be  absent 
from  his  post  for  a  few  days  during  the  session.  On 
the  30th  June,  he  was  at  Kimberley  presiding  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  shareholders  in  his  great  Mining 
Company.  His  speech  made  no  reference  to  politics, 
although  the  gathering  discontent  manifest  in  the  Trans- 
vaal offered  a  pretext  not  easily  thrust  aside.  But  his 
self-denying  ordinance  is  readily  accounted  for.  At  the 
moment  he  was  under  an  anxiety  more  pressing  than  any 
connected  with  Cape  or  Transvaal  politics. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  MATABELE  WAR  AND  AFTER  (1893) 

Rhodes  an  optimist — Lo  Bengula — Dawson's  warning — Helm's  warn- 
ing— Captain  Lendy — Dr.  Jameson — J.  Colenbrander — Border 
Police — Khama's  levies — Umjaan  and  his  impi — Fighting  on  the 
Bembezi — Allan  Wilson's  death — Flight  of  the  King — Rhodes 
speaks  at  Bulawayo — Views  of  Selous — Lord  Knutsford — Delagoa 
Bay  negotiations — Sir  Hercules  Robinson  on  Home  Rule. 

It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  a  warlike  tribe  like  the 
Matabele  would  acquiesce  without  a  struggle  in  the  loss 
of  prestige  inseparable  from  the  lodgment  in  their  midst 
of  a  small  but  powerful  white  population.  Lo  Bengula 
probably  recognised  the  futility  of  an  armed  struggle 
with  the  subjects  of  the  mysterious  great  white  Queen 
across  the  water,  but  despots  are  frequently  driven  into 
dangerous  courses  by  the  irresistible  pressure  of  their 
people.  Rhodes,  who  six  years  later  was  wrongly  of 
opinion  that  the  Boers  did  not  mean  fighting,  was  here 
equally  mistaken  in  holding  that  self-interest  alone  would 
restrain  the  Matabele  ruler  from  aggression.  On  29th 
November,  1892,  at  a  meeting  of  the  British  South 
Africa  Company  with  which  I  have  already  dealt,  he 
expressed  himself  as  an  optimist  regarding  the  peace- 
ful developement  of  Rhodesia.  "I  have  not  the  least 
fear,"  he  said,  "of  any  trouble  in  the  future  from  Lo 
Bengula."  His  confidence  was  based  on  the  latter's  un- 
disguised pleasure  at  receiving  a  monthly  subsidy  from 
the  Company  in  hard  cash.      But  he  forgot  that  though 


84  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  king  received  money,  his  warriors  were  not  partners 
in  the  transaction.  Avarice,  therefore,  had  no  restrain- 
ing power  over  them,  and  a  savage  despot  can  only 
effectually  control  his  armed  forces  by  allowing  them  an 
occasional  taste  of  the  blood  to  which  they  are  accus- 
tomed. So  it  was  in  this  case.  Lo  Bengula  was  a 
man  of  considerable  mental  ability,  and  he  had  no  desire 
to  fight  the  white  men  who  were  pouring  gold  into  his 
coffers.  But  his  impis  were  used  to  periodical  raids  in- 
volving massacre  and  plunder,  and  they  objected  to  an 
enervating  peace.  They  clamoured  to  be  allowed  to 
"wash  their  spears,"  and  the  king  had  to  submit. 
Various  minor  raids  and  individual  murders  had  already 
taken  place.  A  pretext  for  killing  off  inoffensive 
Mashonas  was  now  found  in  the  alleged  theft  by  them 
of  royal  cattle.  On  29th  June,  Mr.  James  Dawson,  the 
king's  scribe,  despatched  the  following  letter: — 

"BuLAWAYO,  2()th  June,  1893. 
"To  the  Magistrate  or  other  Officer  in  Charge 
at  Victoria. 
"Sir — An  impi  is  at  present  leaving  this  neighbour- 
hood for  the  purpose  of  punishing  some  of  Lo  Bengula's 
people  who  have  lately  raided  some  of  his  own  cattle. 
The  impi  in  its  progress  will  probably  come  across  some 
white  men,  who  are  asked  to  understand  that  it  has  noth- 
ing whatever  to  do  with  them.      They  are  likewise  asked 
not  to   oppose   the   impi   in  its  progress.      Also,   if  the 
people  who  have  committed  the  offence  have  taken  refuge 
among  the  white  men,  they  are  asked  to  give  them  up  for 
punishment. — Written  at  Lo  Bengula's  request  by 

"J.  W.  Dawson." 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  85 

Early  In  July  the  Impi  was  In  motion.  On  14th  July 
Mr,  Helm,  a  missionary  at  Morgenster,  sent  a  letter  to 
Captain  Lendy  to  this  effect: — 

"Morgenster,  July  14,  1893. 

"Captain  Lendy,  Resident  Magistrate,  Victoria. 

"Dear  Sir, — Alarming  reports  have  reached  us  as  to 
the  attitude  of  the  Matabele  towards  the  white  people 
in  and  about  Victoria.  We  do  not  know  whether  there 
Is  any  danger  or  not.  Will  you  kindly  send  us  some 
Information  by  our  messenger,  and  at  the  same  time 
let  us  know  what  we  should  do?  What  we  really  wish 
to  know  is  whether  there  Is  any  immediate  danger. — I 
remain,  dear  Sir,  Obediently  yours,  S.  P.  Helm." 

The  approach  of  danger  was  unfortunately  beyond 
question.  For  some  days  an  Impi,  under  Umgandine, 
had  been  in  the  settled  district  of  Victoria,  and  the  alarm 
was  general.  Captain  Lendy,  the  local  magistrate,  was 
away,  but  his  locum  tenens  wired  to  Dr.  Jameson  for 
Instructions,  and  received  the  following  reply,  "You  can 
give  up  nothing.  On  Lendy's  arrival  the  induna  can 
lay  his  complaint  against  him  as  a  Magistrate."  On 
1 2th  July  Jameson  again  wired,  "Leaving  for  Victoria 
to-morrow.  Keep  the  induna  till  my  arrival.  Tell  him 
I  will  give  him  a  reply  to  the  king's  orders  myself." 

To  explain  the  tenor  of  these  messages  It  is  neces- 
sary to  say  that  Colenbrander,  another  European  agent 
of  the  king,  sent,  on  the  latter's  behalf,  the  following 
telegram  to  Captain  Lendy  on  9th  July,  or  at  all  events 
it  reached  Its  destination  on  that  date.  "I  wish  to  let 
you  know  that  the  men  you  met  were  sent  by  my  orders 


86  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

to  recapture  some  cattle  stolen  from  me  by  the  Amaholi, 
and  I  also  wish  to  warn  you  and  the  people  In  your 
vicinity  that  I  am  despatching  within  a  day  or  so,  a  very 
much  larger  force  to  punish  Bere  and  others  for  theft 
and  various  other  reasons,  but  I  do  not  wish  to  frighten 
you  or  your  people  and  therefore  send  you  warning  that 
my  impis  will  pass  your  way,  but  have  orders  not  to 
molest  any  white  men.  Why  should  I  send  an  imp! 
against  the  white  men?  We  have  not  quarrelled.  I 
have  given  you  now  my  reasons  for  punishing  these 
Amaholi,  and  yet  the  people  will  say  that  I  am  killing 
human  beings  unnecessarily." 

Attached  to  this  royal  message,  Colenbrander  adds 
these  words,  "While  I  was  at  Hope  Fountain  yesterday, 
the  king  sent  for  me  in  order  to  address  a  letter  to  you 
to  be  sent  direct  to  Victoria  by  special  messenger,  but 
finding  me  away,  went  to  Mr.  Dawson,  who  has  sent 
the  messengers  for  me,  and  I  trust  these  will  reach  you 
In  good  time  for  a  warning."  This  would  appear  to  be 
a  second  letter  from  Dawson,  unless  the  former  letter 
and  telegram  were  both  delayed  in  transmission.  Dr. 
Jameson,  to  whom  the  telegram  was  no  doubt  retrans- 
mitted, sent  the  annexed  reply  without  the  loss  of  a  day. 

"Thank  the  king  for  his  friendly  message,  and  tell 
him  that,  of  course,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  his  punish- 
ing his  own  Maholls.  But  I  must  insist  that  his  impis 
be  not  allowed  to  cross  the  border  agreed  upon  by  us. 
He  not  being  there,  they  are  not  under  control,  and 
Captain  Lendy  tells  me  that  some  of  them  have  actually 
been  in  the  streets  of  Victoria,  burning  kraals  within  a 
few  miles,  and  killing  some  Mashonas  who  are  servants 
of  the  white  men:    also  that  they  have  captured  some 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  87 

cattle  of  the  Government  and  of  other  white  men.  I 
am  now  instructing  Captain  Lendy  to  see  the  head  induna 
and  tell  him  those  cattle  must  all  be  returned  at  once. 
His  impi  must  retire  beyond  our  agreed  border,  other- 
wise he  is  to  take  his  police  and  at  once  expel  them, 
however  many  they  are.  The  king  will  see  the  necessity 
of  this,  otherwise  it  is  possible  the  white  men,  getting 
irritated,  his  expedition  may  never  return  to  Bulawayo 
at  all." 

At  the  same  time  Jameson  wired  to  Captain  Lendy, 
"Have  you  heard  the  king's  message  to  me?  You  will 
see  he  is  very  anxious  and,  in  fact,  frightened  of  any 
trouble  with  the  whites.  But  you  have  done  absolutely 
right  in  taking  all  precautions.  What  you  should  do 
now  is  this:  See  the  head  induna  as  soon  as  possible. 
Tell  him  of  the  king's  message  and  my  reply,  and,  if 
necessary,  that  you  would  act  up  to  it  with  police,  volun- 
teers and  your  machine  guns.  At  the  same  time  remem- 
ber the  excessive  importance  of  not  hinting  at  this,  if 
avoidable.  From  a  financial  point  of  view,  it  would 
throw  the  country  back  till  God  knows  when.  In  short, 
you  have  authority  to  use  extreme  measures  if  necessary, 
but  I  trust  to  your  tact  to  get  rid  of  the  Matabele  with- 
out any  actual  collision." 

This  desire  to  avoid  a  struggle  unless  it  were  absolutely 
unavoidable  was  due,  in  great  part,  to  the  fact  that 
the  finances  of  the  Chartered  Company  rendered  the 
strictest  economy  necessary.  Jameson  had  recently  suc- 
ceeded, beyond  his  expectation,  in  reducing  expenditure, 
and  was  reluctant  to  face  a  heavy  supplementary  budget. 
On  arrival  at  Victoria,  he  wired  to  Rhodes  at  Cape 
Town   explaining   the    situation,    and   adding   that    if   a 


88  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

blow  were  once  struck,  it  might  become  necessary  to 
assume  the  offensive  and  march  on  Bulawayo.  Rhodes, 
then  sitting  in  the  House,  replied  laconically,  "Read 
Luke  xiv.  31."  On  receipt  of  this  message,  Jameson 
called  for  a  Bible  and  replied,  "All  right."  His  decision 
was  soon  translated  into  action.  On  i8th  July,  the 
impi  entered  the  outskirts  of  the  little  town.  Dr.  Jame- 
son, who  had  arrived,  interviewed  the  head  induna,  who 
thereupon  agreed  to  retire,  but  the  younger  bloods  got 
out  of  hand  and  would  have  continued  their  murderous 
career  had  not  Lendy,  with  a  small  force  of  thirty-four 
men,  attacked  and  scattered  them  in  all  directions.  The 
whole  impi  then  retired  on  Bulawayo,  and  a  demand  was 
made  on  the  king  for  1000  head  of  cattle,  as  a  fine  for 
damages  and  expenses  incurred.  This  he  agreed  to  pay, 
provided  the  Mashonas  in  and  around  Victoria — men, 
women  and  children — were  handed  over  to  him  for  exe- 
cution. To  this  inadmissible  ultimatum  no  direct  reply 
was  given,  but  the  High  Commissioner  exchanged  mes- 
sages with  Lo  Bengula  without  result,  until  it  became 
clear  that  war  was  inevitable.  Lo  Bengula  recalled  an 
impi  5000  strong,  which  had  been  raiding  in  Barotseland 
beyond  the  Zambesi,  and  made  other  arrangements  for 
an  immediate  campaign. 

On  the  other  hand  the  Company,  duly  authorised  by 
the  High  Commissioner,  raised  volunteers,  strengthened 
the  police,  and  prepared  to  strike  a  blow  for  civilisation. 
To  effect  a  demonstration  on  the  other  flank  of  the  Mata- 
bele.  Sir  Henry  Loch  sent  up  220  men  of  the  Bechuana- 
land  Border  Police  to  the  western  border,  where  they  were 
joined  by  a  contingent  of  1880  men  offered  by  Khama. 
The  native  levies  soon  ran  away.     Rhodes  sold  50,000 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  89 

of  his  own  shares  in  the  Chartered  Company  to  provide 
funds,  and  on  iSth  September,  a  few  days  after  Parlia- 
ment rose,  he  proceeded  coastwise  in  the  German  to 
Beira,  and  thence  to  Salisbury,  where  he  joined  the  little 
column  then  starting  for  the  front.  While  between 
Beira  and  Salisbury,  he  was  of  course  out  of  touch  with 
the  High  Commissioner,  who  became  very  impatient  to 
speak  to  him  over  the  wire.  Hourly  inquiries  were  made 
by  Cape  Town  of  Salisbury  as  to  whether  Rhodes  had 
arrived,  until  at  length  the  telegraph  operator,  with  a 
picturesque  touch  all  his  own,  wired,  "I  see  Mr.  Rhodes 
approaching  over  the  brow  of  the  hill." 

The  various  forces  of  the  Company,  all  told,  amounted 
only  to  between  800  and  900  men,  but  among  the  officers 
were  Sir  John  Willoughby,  Major  Forbes,  Major  Allan 
Wilson,  Captain  White,  Captain  Lendy,  and  an  experi- 
enced Dutch  fighter,  Commandant  Raaf.  It  was  only 
on  the  5th  October  that  the  High  Commissioner  gave 
the  Company  permission  to  advance,  and  then  only  be- 
cause the  Imperial  Police  had  been  fired  on  that  day 
by  Matabele  on  the  Shashi  River.  Dr.  Jameson  and 
his  two  columns  at  once  advanced.  He  himself,  with 
the  northern  column,  had  already  reached  Fort  Charter, 
which  he  left  on  9th  October,  accompanied  by  Sir  John 
Willoughby,  Major  Forbes,  Captain  the  Hon.  Alan 
Finch,  Captains  Heany,  Borrow,  Spreckley,  Moberley, 
with  Lieutenant  Carden  as  A.D.C.,  and  several  other 
gallant  men  who  have  since  left  an  indelible  mark  on 
Rhodesia.  With  the  scouts,  under  Gwynneth  and  Ivor 
Williams,  were  the  Hon.  Maurice  Gifford,  Burnham  and 
other  well-known  pioneers.  Dr.  Jameson's  total  white 
force  did  not  exceed  220  men.      The  Victoria  column, 


90  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

414  strong,  was  under  Allan  Wilson,  with  whom  were 
Captain  Kennelly,  Captain  Bastard,  Captain  Lendy, 
R.A.,  and  others. 

The  columns  came  into  touch  with  each  other  on  i6th 
October,  and  on  25th  October  a  severe  engagement  took 
place  on  the  Shangani  River,  where  the  column  was 
attacked  and  entirely  surrounded  by  5000  Matabele  from 
the  Insukameni  and  other  famous  regiments  under 
Umjaan.  In  spite  of  a  panic  flight  on  the  part  of  our 
native  levies,  the  column  with  its  machine  guns  repulsed 
three  furious  charges  and  finally  routed  the  Matabele 
with  great  slaughter,  and  Unondo,  the  commander  of 
the  leading  regiment,  hanged  himself  on  the  nearest  tree 
rather  than  face  Lo  Bengula  after  a  defeat. 

On  the  I  St  November,  near  the  head  waters  of  the 
Bembezi  River,  another  severe  action  was  fought  against 
even  larger  numbers  than  before.  The  splendid  cour- 
age of  the  enemy  was  unavailing.  They  lost  1000  men, 
the  Imbeza  and  Ingubo  regiments  being  practically 
annihilated.  The  war  was  virtually  over.  Lo  Bengula 
fled,  after  giving  orders  to  make  a  Moscow  of 
Bulawayo,  his  great  Kraal  and  his  European  house  there, 
and  this  was  done.  On  the  2nd  November  the  advanc- 
ing column  heard  loud  explosions  in  the  direction  of  the 
Kraal.  The  following  day  they  entered  and  occupied 
Bulawayo,  Dr.  Jameson  at  once  despatching  a  flying 
column,  under  Forbes  and  Allan  Wilson,  In  pursuit  of 
the  king.  The  latter  now  sued  for  peace  and  sent  in  a 
large  sum  in  gold,  by  the  hands  of  two  troopers,  as  an 
earnest  of  good  faith.  To  their  eternal  shame,  these  men 
embezzled  the  money  and  made  no  report  as  to  its  being 
in  their  possession.       They  were   afterwards   convicted 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  91 

of  the  crime  and  sentenced  to  a  long  term  of  imprison- 
ment, but  their  action  had  meanwhile  resulted  in  the 
death  of  Allan  Wilson  and  all  his  men,  who  were 
destroyed  by  the  Matabele  impi  engaged  in  acting  as 
rear  guard  to  the  flying  king.  Forbes,  also,  was  hard 
pressed,  being  only  rescued  by  the  arrival  of  a  relief 
column  among  whom  was  Rhodes  himself. 

Lo  Bengula  was  never  again  heard  of,  and  with  him 
expired  the  capable,  but  ferocious  and  short-lived,  Mata- 
bele dynasty.  The  campaign  cost  the  Company  about 
£100,000  and  had  a  very  tranquilising  effect  upon  the 
Territory.  The  fear  of  the  trained  regiments  of  the 
king  was  removed.  Prospectors,  who  had  walked  in 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  now  went  about  their 
business  with  fresh  hope  and  in  perfect  security:  trade 
revived,  and  white  settlers  poured  in  from  all  parts  of 
South  Africa. 

On  19th  December,  Rhodes  made  an  excellent  speech 
at  Bulawayo  to  the  disbanded  forces,  in  which  he 
recapitulated  the  causes  of  the  war  and  drew  a  picture 
of  its  incidents  and  effects.  With  some  heat,  he  resented 
certain  captious  criticisms  which  were  being  made  in 
England,  principally  by  Mr.  Labouchere,  on  the  heroic 
action  of  the  settlers  in  defending  their  lives  and  prop- 
erty against  a  formidable  foe.  "You  would  have 
thought,"  he  said,  "that  Englishmen  would  have  been 
satisfied.  On  the  contrary,  you  are  called  freebooters, 
marauders  and  murderers,  and  so  on.  But  this  has  not 
been  said  by  our  people  as  a  whole,  but  only  by  a  section. 
I  am  as  loyal  an  Englishman  as  any  one,  but  I  cannot 
help  saying  that  such  conduct  as  this  alienates  colonists 
from  the  mother  country.     We  asked  them  for  nothing. 


92  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

neither  for  men  nor  money,  but  still  we  are  vilified. 
There  are  no  more  loyal  people  than  our  colonists  In 
Africa,  but  persistent  misrepresentation  will  alienate  the 
best  of  us.  You  were  the  first  to  conquer  this  Territory 
and,  though  our  settlement  with  the  natives  must  be  a 
fair  one,  it  cannot  be  left  entirely  to  the  negrophilists  of 
Exeter  Hall.  All  arrangements  regarding  the  settle- 
ment are  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  High  Commis- 
sioner, and  that  is  the  principal  reason  why  I  am  hurry- 
ing back  to  Cape  Town  to  confer  with  him." 

That  the  criticisms  to  which  Rhodes  alluded  were 
founded  on  imperfect  knowledge,  few  will  now  deny. 
Mr.  Selous,  a  singularly  humane  man,  who  served  with 
distinction  during  the  war,  arrived  back  in  England  on 
4th  February,  1894,  and  at  a  press  interview,  while  on 
his  way  home,  he  delivered  his  views  as  follows.  The 
reporter  says: — 

"He  considers  that  the  war  is  over,  and  that  no  further 
rising  of  the  Matabele  is  to  be  feared.  He  thinks  that 
the  want  of  cohesion  among  the  Matabele  had  a  great 
deal  to  do  with  the  rapid  success  of  the  Chartered  forces. 
'You  will  understand,'  he  continued,  'that  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  so-called  Matabele  are  what  is  called 
Maholies,  low-class  Kafirs,  many  of  whom  have  since 
the  last  few  years  been  to  work  on  the  gold  fields.  For 
them  the  unbridled  despotism  of  the  Matabele  made  life 
not  worth  living.  Under  the  cruel  rule  of  rapine  and 
murder  of  the  latter  they  were  not  safe  for  a  moment 
as  to  life  and  property.  No  sooner  were  a  few  cattle 
accumulated  than  the  owner  was  killed  by  order  of  the 
king.  These  men,  who  made  the  majority  of  the  so- 
called  Matabele  power,  prefer  the  just  government  of 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  93 

the  white  men  to  the  rule  which  has  been  over  them  till 
now.  They  have  seen  Khama's  people  living  in  peace, 
and  wish  to  do  the  same.'  " 

Mr.  Selous  was  asked  if  he  had  quite  recovered  from 
the  bullet  wound  received  at  the  Fort  Adams  attack  on 
the  rear  columns  of  Raaf's  forces.  The  great  hunter 
smiled,  and,  opening  his  flannel  shirt,  showed  two  nasty 
spots,  healing  rapidly,  just  below  the  third  rib  on  the 
right  side,  where  the  bullet  had  hit  the  bone,  glanced 
along  under  the  skin,  and  finally  performed  a  happy 
despatch  to  the  outer  regions  again.  "A  narrow  squeak," 
he  said,  "but  I  am  quite  well  again,  thanks." 

"The  Matabele  power,"  continued  the  visitor,  "has 
fallen  to  pieces.  The  Maxims,  of  course,  were  an  im- 
mense assistance,  though  their  effect  is  perhaps  somewhat 
exaggerated.  I  believe  that  great  work  will  be  done  in 
the  country,  which  is  equal  to  Mashonaland  in  every  way 
in  agricultural  and  mineral  resources." 

"How  about  Lo  Bengula?"  quoth  the  Interviewer. 

"I  fancy  the  king  will  rally  the  remnants  of  the  war- 
like forces  around  him,  and  after  a  few  months  across 
the  Zambesi,  try  to  form  another  State  north  of  the  great 
river,  as  Mosilikatze  did  before  him,  when  he  left  the 
Transvaal." 

"How  about  the  cutting  off  of  Major  Wilson  and  his 
men?" 

Mr.  Selous  was  silent  for  a  few  moments,  and  then 
said,  "Well,  you  know,  it  is  very  easy  to  criticise  these 
things  from  afar.  I  do  not  care  to  express  my  opinion; 
only  I  know  this — that  nothing  was  done  except  by  joint 
consultation  between  Major  Forbes  and  Commandant 
Raaf,  on  account  of  the  latter's  great  experience  In  native 


94  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

warfare.  There  is  a  tendency  to  blame  Major  Forbes, 
but  I  can  assure  you  that  everything  was  carefully  and 
jointly  considered  according  to  orders  from  headquarters, 
and  nothing  was  left  undone  that  had  to  be  done.  With- 
out entering  into  any  arguments  about  Mr.  Oliver  Davis, 
I  can  only  tell  you  that  the  shooting  of  those  Matabele 
at  Victoria  in  July  last,  who  were  only  four  miles  from 
the  township,  was  amply  justified.  Every  one  of  these 
Matabele  was  a  murderer.  If  not  in  the  streets  them- 
selves, still  these  very  men  had  atrociously  assegaied 
numbers  of  innocent  Mashonas  within  sight  of  even  the 
white  women  living  at  Fort  Victoria.  Would  you  hold 
argument  with  men  whom  you  see  commit  flagrant  mur- 
der in  open  daylight?  I  consider  the  action  of  Captain 
Lendy  was  fully  justified." 

The  Company  was  not  without  its  influential  sup- 
porters. In  June,  1894,  Lord  Knutsford,  an  ex-Secretary 
of  State,  speaking  at  a  public  dinner,  said,  "I  cannot 
regret  that  during  my  term  of  office  the  Charter  was 
granted  to  the  British  South  Africa  Company  by  Her 
Majesty.  (Loud  cheers.)  The  Company  have  loyally 
performed  the  covenants  they  entered  into,  and  I  think 
they  may  treat  with  contempt  the  denunciations  of  Mr. 
Labouchere  (loud  cheers),  denunciations  which  he  is 
very  ready  to  make  without  any  foundation.  (Renewed 
cheers.)" 

The  attacks  of  Mr.  Labouchere  and  others,  while  dis- 
credited in  all  well-informed  quarters  and  deeply  resented 
in  Rhodesia  itself,  had  the  effect  of  lowering  Chartered 
Company  shares  to  under  par.  But  they  soon  recovered. 
The  personal  bitterness  of  the  criticism  defeated  its  own 
object.      Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  then  in  London,  wrote 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  95 

a  sensible  letter  to  the  Times  on  7th  November,  which 
met  with  general  approval,  except  from  the  "Labbyites," 
as  he  called  them,  who — to  use  his  own  words  to  me — 
were  "as  impracticable  as  ever  with  their  cry  of  'Take 
care  of  the  poor  natives,  but  don't  spend  anything!' 
They  would  like  to  play  the  part  of  the  good  Samaritan 
without  the  oil  and  two  pence." 

Later,  on  17th  November,  Sir  Hercules  wrote  to  me, 
"The  Matabele  debate  last  week  was  a  victory  all  along 
the  line  for  the  Chartered  Company.  Labouchere's 
indiscreet  remark  that  the  advent  of  the  Liberals  to 
power  was  always  followed  by  a  massacre  in  Africa, 
made  the  G.O.M.  furious,  and  probably  led  to  his  taking 
a  stronger  line  on  the  Chartered  side  than  he  other- 
wise would." 

The  efforts  of  Rhodes  to  round  off  the  British  posses- 
sions In  South  Africa  and  defeat  the  Republican  aspira- 
tions for  an  East  Coast  port,  by  obtaining  Delagoa  Bay 
for  England,  continued  over  a  period  of  several  years, 
but  as  his  principal  negotiations  were  in  or  about  1893, 
they  may  be  referred  to  here.  So  far  back  as  22nd 
January,  1892,  Merriman,  then  in  London,  wrote  to 
Rhodes  that,  as  requested,  he  had  interviewed  a  well- 
known  International  financier,  who  said  that  the  Cape 
ought  to  purchase  all  the  South-Eastern  African  posses- 
sions of  Portugal,  that  it  would  solve  the  South  African 
problem,  and  that  the  transaction  was  not  beyond  the 
limits  of  probability,  as  Portugal  was  in  sore  straits  for 
money.      On  5th  February,  Merriman  cabled  to  Rhodes, 

"Am  In  constant  communication  with .    I  fully  share 

your  views  as  to  importance."  During  the  whole  of 
1893  Rhodes  was  In  close  correspondence  with  the  Cape 


96  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Agent-General,  and  with  a  representative  he  had 
despatched  to  Lisbon.  He  also  addressed  Her 
Majesty's  Government  on  the  subject,  but  received  for 
reply,  on  23rd  May,  a  somewhat  frigid  note  to  the  effect 
that,  as  a  Government,  they  could  do  nothing  to  help 
him,  although  he  was  warmly  supported  by  the  High 
Commissioner.  A  gleam  of  hope  is  visible  on  26th 
August,  1893,  when  a  highly  placed  official  informed  him 
that  it  might  be  possible  to  take  action  upon  publication 
of  the  Berne  Award.  It  was  accordingly  arranged  to 
offer  £700,000  for  the  Territory,  but  on  15th  September 

Baron  cabled  that  another  competitor  was  In  the 

field  offering  one  million  sterling,  and  requesting  dis- 
cretion to  bid  up  to  £1,300,000. 

In  March,  1894,  Rhodes  prepared  an  elaborate  minute 
on  the  subject,  from  which  I  make  the  following  extract, 
"I  have  for  several  years  done  my  best  to  obtain  for  the 
Colony,  by  purchase  or  otherwise,  the  Portuguese  Prov- 
ince of  Lourenco  Marques.      With  that  view went 

to  Lisbon  In  1891  and  endeavoured  to  effect  purchase 
on  my  behalf.      He  found  the  national  sentiment  opposed 

to  parting  with  any  territory.      Lord  Intervened 

and  kept  me  advised  of  the  position.  It  was  arranged 
that  should  favourable  occasion  arise,  he  was  to  act. 
When  In  England  with  SIvewright  at  the  end  of  1892, 

Baron was  Introduced  to  me  by  the  Colonial  Office 

as  a  man  of  much  Influence  In  Lisbon.  He  thought  the 
time  ripe,  but  was  only  to  receive  a  commission  If  the  deal 
went  through.      I  then  left  for  Egypt,  and  while  there  I 

heard  that  the  moment  had  arrived,  and  I  cabled  to 

to  take  the  matter  up.  At  Zanzibar  I  also  received 
cables.       For    several    months    pourparlers    proceeded. 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  97 

SIvewright  returned  to  the  Colony  in  April,  1893:  there 
was  a  change  of  Ministry  in  Portugal,  and  things  took 
an  unfavourable  turn.  At  one  time  success  seemed 
assured,  but  America  intervened  on  behalf  of  Mac- 
Murdo's  relatives.  Sivewright  paid  £3000  for  the  option 
over  their  interests,  but  the  option  expired  before  any- 
thing could  be  done  and  the  money  was  lost.  I  could  not 
ask  Parliament  to  pay,  so  I  paid  it  myself.  The  whole 
circumstance  was  known  to  Her  Majesty's  Government. 
They  are  aware  that  the  Cape  Government  is  prepared 
to  purchase  the  province.  The  Treasurer  (Merriman) 
concurred  and  was  a  help  to  me  while  in  England." 

On  26th  April,  1894,  Rhodes,  being  at  Butterworth 
in  the  Transkei,  the  High  Commissioner  wired  to  him  that 
he  had  received  a  cable  communication  from  the  Sec- 
retary of  State.     " says,  tell  Rhodes  declares 

that  Portugal  will  not  sell,  but  might  lease  Bay  for  100 
years.  Cape  Government  should  state  minimum  con- 
cessions they  would  require  in  lease  and  maximum  sum 

they  would  pay.     thinks  they  must  offer  amount  of 

Berne  award,  estimated  at  £1,250,000,  besides  £400,000 
for  the  lease  itself." 

On  4th  May  Rhodes  received  a  direct  cable  from  Lord 

to  confirm  the  statement  that  Portugal  would  do 

nothing  until  after  the  Berne  award.  He  added  that  all 
investigations  showed  that  Portugal  was  financially 
ruined.  During  June  and  July  negotiations  continued, 
but  obstacles  arose  and  the  project  was  eventually 
abandoned.  The  references  to  the  Berne  award  relate, 
of  course,  to  the  Arbitration  over  the  forcible  seizure  by 
Portugal  of  the  railway  line  constructed  by  MacMurdo, 
an  American  subject.      It  Is  probable  that  had  the  Bay 


98  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

and  its  surrounding  territory  been  sold  or  even  leased  to 
us  by  our  ancient  ally  in  1893,  there  would  have  no  Raid 
and  no  war.  If  so,  uncounted  millions  would  have  been 
saved  to  the  British  taxpayer.  But  Chancellors  of  the 
Exchequer,  who  live  from  hand  to  mouth,  cannot  be 
expected  to  take  long  views,  and  though  the  Cape  Colony 
would  have  eventually  paid  the  money,  the  temporary 
intervention  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  would  no 
doubt  have  been  required.  British  statesmen  carry  heavy 
and  increasing  responsibilities,  and  may  be  pardoned  for 
exercising  a  certain  scepticism  in  regard  to  proposals 
involving  exceptional  expenditure.  Disraeli  is  perhaps 
the  only  Prime  Minister  of  the  last  generation  who  had 
sufficient  imagination  and  insight  heartily  to  support 
the  transaction  which  Rhodes  had  at  heart,  and  to  over- 
come the  reluctance  of  a  bankrupt  State  to  part  with 
any  fraction  of  its  oversea  possessions. 

I  have  referred  more  than  once  to  correspondence  I 
received  from  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  from  time  to  time, 
and  I  may  perhaps  conclude  this  chapter  with  a  reference 
to  his  views  on  the  Home  Rule  Bill  then  before  the  House 
of  Commons.  Like  Rhodes,  he  held  tenaciously  to  the 
view  that  under  certain  restrictions  and  with  certain  safe- 
guards. Home  Rule  would  tend  to  federate  rather  than 
disintegrate  the  Empire.  But  he  shall  speak  for 
himself. 

On  17th  February,  1893,  he  wrote  as  follows: — 
"Nothing  is  talked  of  here  but  the  Home  Rule  Bill, 
which  I  think  is  not  a  bad  bill.  It  is  the  Cape  and 
Victorian  system  plus  representation  at  Westminster. 
It  will  pass  the  first  reading  to-day,  and  I  expect  the 
second  reading  will  be  carried  by  a  majority  of  40.      I 


THE  MATABELE  WAR,  1893  99 

like  the  proposal  chiefly  from  a  Federal  point  of  view, 
as  it  could  be  extended  to  England,  Scotland  and  Wales, 
and  to  the  self-governing  Colonies  whenever  they  may 
be  prepared  to  bear  their  fair  share  of  the  common 
burdens  of  British  citizenship." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
A  BUSY  YEAR  (1894) 

Matabeleland    Order    in    Council — Resignation    of    Attorney-General — I 
Rhodes  speaks  in  Cape  Town — Excitement  in  English  press — Cape 
General   Election — Rhodes  wins — Speaks  at  Kimberley — at    Barklyj 
West — At     Klipdam — Afifairs     of     Pondoland — Historic     Survey — j 
Rhodes    visits    and    annexes    all    Pondoland — Parliament    opens- 
Theron  Chairman  of  Committee — Rhodes  on  preferential  duties — I 
The  "Rhodes  clause" — High  Commissioner  arrives  from  England — ] 
Visits   Pretoria — 'The  flag  incident — Loch  warns   Kruger — Debates] 
in   the    Cape    Parliament — Uitlander   grievances — Transvaal    Green! 
Book — Growing   unrest — Van    der   Walt — Colonial    Conference    at  ] 
Grey    Bill — Parliament    prorogued — Visitors    to    Groote    Schuur — 
Ottawa — German   troubles    in    South-west  Africa — Scab  Act — Glen  I 
Schreiner  returns  to  office — Rhodes  goes  North — John  Hays  Ham-  I 
mond — Rhodes    visits    England — Agreement   as   to    British   Central 
Africa — Rhodes  a  London  "Lion" — Avoids  public  speaking. 

We  have  seen  that  at  the  close  of  1893  Rhodes  had! 
to  hurry  back  to  Cape  Town  to  confer  with  the  High' 
Commissioner  touching  his  future  administration  of 
Matabeleland,  as  well  as  to  settle  those  many  details 
inseparable  from  a  general  election.  Hitherto,  the 
pioneers  In  Rhodesia  had,  perforce,  to  be  content  to 
occupy  and  develop  Mashonaland  Itself,  leaving  Mata- 
beleland severely  alone.  But  the  king's  flight  rendered 
it  necessary  to  provide  for  the  government  of  his  Terri- 
tory, which  was  lapsing  Into  a  condition  of  anarchy. 

As  the  result  of  the  negotiations  between  Rhodes  and 
Sir  Henry  Loch,  Her  Majesty's  Government,  on  i8th 
July,   1894,  Issued  the  Matabeleland  Order  In  Council, 


A  BUSY  YEAR  loi 

which  was  at  once  acted  on,  though  not  promulgated  in 
the  Cape  Gazette  until  the  loth  September.  The  Order 
handed  over  the  work  of  government  to  the  Chartered 
Company,  reserving  the  ultimate  control  to  the  High 
Commissioner.  The  Company,,  a.^  I  liJive  ph(pwr*,.''Vere 
already  in  possession  of  the  land  and  mineral  rights  by 
virtue  of  Concessions  ratified  by  the  Secretary  of  State, 
and  they  now  obtained  the  complementary  administra- 
tive rights.  The  limits  of  the  Company's  jurisdiction 
were  defined  as  comprising  that  portion  of  South  Africa 
which  was  bounded  by  the  Portuguese  East  Coast  pos- 
sessions: by  the  South  African  Republic  to  a  point  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  the  River  Shashi :  by  the  River  Shashi 
itself,  and  the  territories  of  Khama  of  the  Bamangwato, 
up  to  the  Zambesi:  and,  finally,  by  that  river  as  far  as 
the  Portuguese  boundary  on  the  West  Coast,  including 
an  area  of  ten  miles  round  Fort  Tuli,  but  excluding  the 
district  of  Tati  already  dealt  with  in  the  original  Charter. 
Unfortunately,  Great  Britain,  by  the  Treaty  with  Ger- 
many, commonly  called  the  Heligoland  Agreement  (ist 
July,  1890)  had  "spoilt"  the  natural  boundary  of 
Rhodesia,  which  was  the  Linyanti  River,  by  granting 
Germany  access  to  the  Zambesi  by  a  twenty-mile  strip 
of  territory  which  cuts  like  a  wedge  into  the  extreme 
north-west  border  of  Matabeleland.  A  glance  at  the 
map,  however,  will  show  how  large  was  the  accession  of 
territory  accruing  to  the  Company  and  to  the  Empire 
as  its  reversionary  heir.  As  he  surveyed  the  two  fertile 
provinces  now  under  his  control,  Rhodes  might  well  have 
exclaimed,  "Exegi  monumentum  aere  perennius."  But 
political  and  other  anxieties  claimed  all  his  leisure.  On 
his  arrival  in  Cape  Town,  he  was  confronted  with  the 


102  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

resignation  of  Mr.  W.  P.  Schreiner,  his  Attorney-Gen- 
eral, whose  place,  after  some  little  delay,  was  taken  by 
Mr.  H.  H.  Juta.  Mr.  Schreiner  declared  that  the 
thought  of  resignation  had  long  been  on  his  mind,  and 
thai'  he  \vould  not  stand  again  for  Kimberley,  though 
he  might  stand  as  a  colleague  of  Rhodes's  at  Barkly 
West. 

On  the  6th  January,  1894,  Rhodes  was  entertained  at 
a  banquet  by  the  citizens  of  Cape  Town,  on  which  occa- 
sion he  made  a  memorable  speech.  Representatives  of 
all  political  parties  were  present  as  a  protest  against  the 
malicious  criticisms  of  Labouchere  and  other  irreconcil- 
able enemies  of  Rhodesia  in  England,  and  as  a  practical 
expression  of  sympathy  on  the  part  of  the  Colony  with 
the  gallantry  of  the  Rhodesian  force  against  heavy  odds. 
"When  I  look  around  at  this  assemblage,"  said  Rhodes, 
"and  see  gentlemen  here  who,  as  regards  the  politics  of 
the  Colony,  feel  it  their  duty  to  be  in  opposition  to  myself 
and  yet  are  so  broad-minded  as  to  express,  by  their  pres- 
ence, that  they  consider  I  have  deserved  well  of  the  com- 
munity, it  makes  it,  Mr.  Mayor,  very  difficult  for  me 
adequately  to  express  my  feelings." 

He  went  on  to  tell  them  some  amusing  anecdotes  as  to 
his  gradual  extension  of  British  territory,  and  the  anxiety 
expressed  by  the  late  High  Commissioner  regarding  when 
and  where  he  proposed  to  halt.  And  he  reminded  his 
audience  of  what  scanty  support  he  had  received  when  he 
first  mooted  the  subject  of  keeping  open  the  trade  route 
to  the  North. 

"You  must  remember,"  he  said,  "that  in  those  days 
every  one  was  against  me :  you  must  remember  that 
when  I  pointed  out  to  the  House  that  our  Hinterland 


A  BUSY  YEAR  103 

must  be  preserved,  I  could  not  get  a  vote,  not  a  single 
vote,  and  I  had  to  persevere  In  the  face  of  the  greatest 
difficulties.  But  If  you  have  an  Idea,  a  good  one,  and 
stick  to  It,  you  will  generally  come  out  all  right.  I  made 
the  seizure  of  the  Interior  a  paramount  object  of  my 
politics,  everything  else  was  subordinated  to  that.  I 
knew  that  Africa  was  the  last  uncivilised  portion  of  the 
Empire,  and  that  It  must  be  civilised.  I  often  try  to 
Imagine  what  my  colleagues  must  have  thought  of  me 
as  I  was  sitting  In  the  House  brooding  because  of  a 
telegram  that  the  Mashonas  were  being  murdered  within 
our  own  district  of  Victoria,  that  the  settlers  would  not 
stand  it,  and  would  'trek'  unless  I  faced  the  position. 
Well,  sir.  In  those  long  hours  we  spent  In  the  House, 
I  made  up  my  mind  that  at  the  conclusion  of  the  session 
I  would  go  up  to  Mashonaland,  knowing  full  well  what 
was  before  me.  When  I  arrived  at  Salisbury  I  found 
that  hostilities  were  In  progress,  and  that  out  of  1500 
people,  650  had  already  gone  to  the  front.  These  men 
went  to  face  a  power  equal  to  that  of  the  Zulus  and  with 
the  Idea  that  they  might  never  return.  But  they  went, 
and  they  won,  and  they  occupied  Bulawayo.  Remember, 
please,  not  only  the  two  great  fights  In  which  they  were 
victorious,  but  the  daily  and  nightly  apprehension  that 
the  Matabele  might  be  on  them  at  any  moment,  the  fifty 
occasions  when  the  waggons  were  laagered  and  the 
Maxims  got  ready.  And  thus  a  few  hundreds  of  our 
people  conquered  a  savage  power  which  otherwise,  to 
subdue,  would  have  cost  Her  Majesty's  Government 
millions  of  money.  And  yet  the  Aborigines  Protection 
Society  communicated  with  Lord  Ripon,  and  stated  that. 
In  their  opinion,  the  Province  should  be  assigned  to  the 


I04  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Crown  and  not  to  the  Chartered  Company,  which,  they 
added,  would  govern  the  country  in  the  interests  of  un- 
scrupulous traders." 

The  speech  was  a  sledge-hammer  one,  ranging  over 
a  wide  variety  of  topics,  and  it  closed  with  the  passionate 
declaration  that  although,  for  his  efforts  on  behalf  of 
unborn  millions  of  the  Empire,  he  claimed  the  highest 
reward  that  a  human  being  could  desire,  that  reward 
was  only  the  trust  and  confidence  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
As  with  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  on  a  somewhat  similar 
occasion,  the  necessarily  condensed  cabled  reports  of 
this  speech  conveyed  a  very  false  idea  of  its  general 
tenor. 

The  English  press,  with  some  honourable  excep- 
tions, raised  a  shrill  cry  of  reprehension.  The  Spectator 
declared  that  there  was  in  the  speech  an  unmistakable 
threat  of  independence  if  the  mother  country  did  not 
yield.  The  Saturday  Review  considered  that  the 
language  used  was  of  a  very  questionable  character. 
The  Pall  Mall  Gazette  had  yet  to  learn  that  the  House 
of  Commons  could  be  browbeaten  by  after-dinner 
speeches.  Even  the  Times,  more  in  sorrow  than  in 
anger,  thundered  its  disapproval.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  provincial  press  expressed  saner  views.  The  fVestern 
Morning  News  said  that  Mr.  Rhodes  had  put  his  case 
strongly  but  discreetly,  and  as  he  had  borne  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day  he  was  entitled  to  its  fruits.  The 
Nottingham  Daily  Guardian  asserted  that  Her  Majesty's 
Government  could  not  permanently  thwart  Colonial 
opinion  and  it  would  be  an  act  of  wicked  folly  to  try. 
The  Newcastle  Daily  Chronicle  remarked  that  Mr.  Cecil 
Rhodes  and  the  population  of  South  Africa  were  pitted 


A  BUSY  YEAR  105 

against  the  Marquis  of  Ripon,  with  the  odds  immensely 
against  the  latter. 

When  the  text  of  the  speech  arrived  in  London,  this 
storm  in  a  tea-cup  subsided  in  a  remarkable  manner. 
Meanwhile,  Rhodes  took  an  active  part  in  the  Cape 
general  election  which,  during  January,  was  in  full  swing. 
On  15th  January  he  was  entertained  by  his  white 
employees  at  Kimberley,  and  dealt  with  a  charge  that 
was  being  made  to  the  effect  that  they  could  only  vote 
as  they  were  bid.  "Let  us,"  he  said,  "get  rid  of  this 
ridiculous  statement  which  scarcely  deserves  refutation. 
My  test  in  regard  to  you  is  not  your  political  ideas  but 
your  manual  work  and  your  ability  to  keep  your  positions, 
and  though,  in  one  sense,  it  would  be  pleasant  to  me  if 
you  supported  those  who  support  my  policy  and  thus 
make  me  secure  for  the  next  five  years,  at  the  same  time  it 
would  be  almost  a  satisfaction  if  some  of  you  voted  the 
other  way  just  to  refute  this  wretched  insinuation." 

After  this  unconventional  political  speech,  Rhodes 
proceeded  to  his  own  constituency,  having  meanwhile, 
however,  addressed  his  shareholders  at  their  annual 
meeting  on  the  i8th  January.  On  29th  January  he 
made  a  declaration  of  policy  at  Barkly  West,  stating 
that  the  aim  of  the  Cape  should  be  to  pool  all  South 
African  railway  receipts  and  divide  the  proceeds.  He 
added  that  in  regard  to  native  land  tenure,  his  idea  was 
to  give  individual  title  to  agricultural  land,  and  com- 
munal title  for  grazing  land.  Pondoland,  he  said,  was 
the  greatest  problem  he  had  to  deal  with  at  the  moment. 
Speaking  as  Minister  for  Native  Affairs,  he  declared 
that  although  the  Colony  must  proceed  tactfully  and 
with  the  approval  of  the  High  Commissioner,  yet  the 


io6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Pondos  must  be  sternly  dealt  with  if  they  continued  their 
cruel  Internal  dissensions. 

On  30th  January  Rhodes  spoke  to  other  constituents 
of  his,  the  river  diggers  at  Klipdam,  and  answering  the 
taunt  that  his  was  a  Bond-ridden  Ministry,  he  asked 
them  to  say  whether  they  had  ever  had  such  a  volume 
of  progressive  legislation  before  his  assumption  of  office. 
The  election  struggle  over  all  parts  of  the  Colony  was 
severe,  but  the  final  issue  was  a  triumph  for  the  Ministry. 
Rhodes  was  returned  at  the  head  of  the  poll  for  Barkly 
West,  and  the  only  remaining  outspoken  critic  of  the 
"dual  position"  lost  his  seat.  In  a  House  of  76  mem- 
bers the  Opposition  could  only  rely  with  confidence  on 
the  votes  of  18  of  Its  supporters.  But  an  eyewitness 
describes  Rhodes  about  this  date  as  "thin,  grey  and  hag- 
gard." 

Having  thus  consolidated  his  political  position,  he 
concentrated  his  attention  upon  the  affairs  of  Pondoland. 
For  months  past  the  Cape  Mounted  Police  had  been 
occupied  in  protecting  the  Colonial  borders  from  the  raids 
of  the  unquiet  tribes  whose  rival  factions  were  desolating 
the  territory.  The  Ama-Pondos,  200,000  strong,  who 
Inhabited  the  fertile  East  Coast  country  between  the 
Umtata  and  Umtamvuna  Rivers,  were  a  turbulent  rather 
than  a  warlike  race.  Their  land  borders  marched  with 
those  of  the  Cape  provinces  of  Tembuland  and  Grlqua- 
land  East,  and  touched  Natal  at  Its  south-eastern  corner. 
Driven  from  their  original  home  by  the  forays  of  Chaka, 
the  Zulu  king,  they  found  shelter  in  the  broken  country 
through  which  runs  the  beautiful  river  of  St.  John.  The 
country  was  ruled  by  two  chiefs  of  a  common  ancestry, 
but  who  now  inhabited  East  and  West  Pojidoland  respec- 


A  BUSY  YEAR  107 

tlvely.  To  prevent  an  illicit  trade  in  arms,  the  port  of 
St.  John  was  secured  in  1878,  by  a  treaty  between  the 
paramount  chief  Nqwiliso  and  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  and  a 
protectorate  over  the  whole  coastline  was  declared  by 
Her  Majesty's  Government  in  1885.  Umquikela,  one 
of  the  two  chiefs,  was  subsidised  by  the  Cape  Govern- 
ment and  supervised  by  the  High  Commissioner,  whose 
influence  had  some  slight  effect  in  limiting  the  atrocities 
to  which  the  tribe  was  addicted.  When,  however,  Sigcau, 
"the  spider,"  succeeded  Umquikela,  the  enormities  he 
perpetrated  and  permitted  called  aloud  for  intervention. 
Sir  Henry  Loch  attempted  by  a  personal  visit  in  1893 
to  recall  the  chief  to  a  sense  of  his  duty,  but  Sigcau  kept 
His  Excellency  waiting  for  three  days  before  he  would 
accord  him  an  interview,  and  in  this  and  other  ways 
behaved  with  great  arrogance.  The  visit,  therefore,  was 
fruitless.  Rhodes  was  not  to  be  so  treated.  Negotia- 
tions with  Her  Majesty's  Government  and  Natal  resulted 
in  an  agreement  that  Pondoland  should  be  annexed  to 
the  Cape  and,  as  soon  as  the  general  election  was  over, 
Rhodes  set  out  for  the  Territory,  accompanied  by  his 
private  secretary,  Mr. — now  Sir  William — Milton,  and 
an  escort  of  100  Mounted  Police  under  Colonel  Stanford. 
Strong  representations  were  made  to  him  not  to  under- 
take such  a  dangerous  journey,  but  he  persisted.  The 
omens  were  not  propitious.  On  one  occasion  an 
immense  boulder  blocked  the  road  and  rendered  further 
wheeled  transport  impracticable.  Whether  it  fell  by 
accident  or  was  placed  there  by  design,  the  effect  on  the 
native  mind  was  decisive,  and  the  camp  following  deserted 
in  a  body.  Even  Stanford,  an  experienced  oflicer,  advo- 
cated a  retreat,  but  Rhodes  replied  that  he  would  go 


io8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

forward  if  he  went  alone,  and  the  little  party,  though 
much  diminished  in  numbers,  pushed  on.  The  first  visit 
was  paid  to  Nqwiliso.  The  meeting  took  place  on  the 
8th  April,  1894,  at  a  spot  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Umtata,  the  chief's  "Great  Place,"  but  now  the  site  of 
a  flourishing  township  with  an  Anglican  Cathedral. 
Nqwiliso  and  his  councillors,  Bokleni  and  Nqweketo, 
attended  by  300  armed  followers,  came  to  the  Indaba 
in  barbaric  state.  Rhodes  informed  them  that  their 
country  was  annexed,  and  that  all  he  said  and  did  was 
with  the  authority  of  the  great  White  Queen:  that 
he  was  actuated  by  no  greed  for  territory  but  in  the 
interests  of  the  tribe  and  of  humanity.  Nqwiliso,  now 
an  old  man,  and  weak  rather  than  wicked,  raised  many 
querulous  objections  with  all  the  ingenuity  of  a  Kafir 
lawyer.  But  Rhodes,  while  making  conciliatory  replies 
to  reasonable  requests,  put  his  foot  down  whenever  the 
chief  blustered;  and  when  a  young  induna,  Valelo, 
questioned  Rhodes's  authority  in  an  insolent  manner, 
he  was  peremptorily  told  to  take  himself  off.  Nqwiliso 
finally  submitted  to  the  inevitable  and  entered  upon  a 
long  historical  disquisition  to  show  that  from  the  days 
of  his  grandfather  Faku,  the  tribe  had  always  been 
loyal,  adding  that  he  had  sent  a  message  to  Sigcau 
advising  him  to  be  amenable.  Rhodes  listened  with 
patience,  but  after  the  articles  of  annexation  were  signed, 
he  called  Bokleni  aside  and,  addressing  him  with  stern 
severity,  told  him  that  his  numberless  crimes  were  known 
to  him,  and  that  if  he  continued  his  career  of  murder  he 
would  fare  badly.  "I  am  now  your  chief,"  he  said, 
"and  what  I  say  I  will  do.  If  you  talk  mischief,  even  at 
night,  I  shall  hear  you.      You  will  never  be  safe.      I 


A  BUSY  YEAR  109 

will  kill  you  if  you  deserve  it,  as  I  killed  Lo  Bengula." 
Bokleni  was  speechless  and  terror-stricken,  and,  what 
to  him  was  worse,  the  tribe  saw  it.  Rhodes  now  pro- 
ceeded to  St.  John  and  from  there  to  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Sigcau's  chief  kraal.  Bearing  in  mind  the  chief's 
treatment  of  the  High  Commissioner,  Rhodes  pitched 
camp,  and  instead  of  seeking  an  interview,  summoned 
Sigcau  to  attend  on  him  at  once.  After  some  hesitation, 
the  chief  complied,  but  on  one  pretext  or  another  was 
kept  waiting  for  three  days,  the  precise  treatment  he  had 
meted  out  to  the  High  Commissioner.  The  punish- 
ment exactly  fitted  the  crime,  and  appealed  irresistibly  to 
that  sense  of  humour  which  is  so  marked  a  characteristic 
of  the  native  races  of  South  Africa.  Sigcau  found  him- 
self the  object  of  ridicule,  and  for  a  time  it  humbled  him. 
When  at  length  an  interview  was  granted,  Rhodes  used 
that  tone  of  authority  which  is  alone  intelligible  to  the 
native  mind.  Sigcau,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  heard 
his  conduct  described  as  it  deserved,  and  sullenly 
acquiesced  in  his  fate. 

It  may  be  stated  here  that  Rhodes  was  censured  in 
some  quarters  for  not  disarming  the  Pondos,  but  the 
recent  failure  of  the  disarmament  policy  in  Basutoland 
doubtless  influenced  him,  and  his  decision  has  been  amply 
justified  by  results.  He  was  also  blamed  about  this 
date  for  a  declaration  made  at  Umtata  that  no  con- 
cessions by  Pondo  chiefs  would  be  recognised  by  Govern- 
ment until  they  had  passed  the  scrutiny  of  the  High  Com- 
missioner.    The  reservation  was  a  very  wise  one. 

On  17th  May,  in  the  absence  of  Sir  Henry  Loch,  the 
first  session  of  the  new  Parliament  was  opened  at  Cape 
Town  by  General  Sir  W.  Cameron.     His  speech  recorded 


no  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  peaceful  and  prosperous  condition  of  the  Colony, 
but  stated  that  Pondoland  was  still  disturbed,  Sigcau 
having  declined  to  admit  the  Resident,  although  all  other 
chiefs  had  loyally  submitted.  To  avert  civil  war  a 
Colonial  force  had  been  concentrated  in  the  Territory 
under  the  control  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  Tembuland. 

On  the  same  day  Rhodes  gave  notice  that  at  an  early 
date  he  would  move  the  formal  annexation  of  all  Pondo- 
land. On  2 1  St  May  he  moved  accordingly,  and  gave 
the  House  a  graphic  description  of  the  steps  he  had 
already  taken  to  maintain  order  and  put  down  witchcraft. 
He  said  the  chiefs  had  pleaded  for  Home  Rule  as 
in  Basutoland,  for  which  they  were  as  yet  unfit,  and  that 
in  his  opinion  Colonial  Magistrates  must  exercise  sole 
jurisdiction.  Sauer  concurred,  but  quizzed  the  Prime 
Minister  for  his  silence  as  to  the  details  of  his  own  visit 
to  the  Territory.  The  motion  was  agreed  to  without 
a  division. 

On  22nd  May  Rhodes  proposed  for  Chairman  of  Com- 
mittees, Mr.  Theron,  the  titular  Chairman  of  the  Afri- 
kander Bond,  of  whom  he  spoke  in  terms  of  warm  admir- 
ation. The  Opposition  nominated  Sir  Thomas  Scanlen, 
an  experienced  lawyer  and  former  Prime  Minister.  The 
appointment,  being  thus  made  a  party  question,  a  trial 
of  strength  ensued,  and  Rhodes  carried  his  man  by  42 
to  27.  The  soundness  of  his  judgment  may  be  inferred 
by  the  fact  that  from  that  day  to  his  lamented  death  in 
1908,  Theron  was  elected  to  the  post  session  after  session 
without  serious  opposition.  Small  in  stature  and  mild 
in  rmnner,  his  inflexible  integrity  and  exemplary  fair- 
mindedness  carried  him  triumphantly  through  many 
anxious  years,  and  few  Houses  of  Assembly  have  been 


A  BUSY  YEAR  ill 

presided  over,  for  so  long  a  period,  by  a  Chairman  of 
such  marked  ability  and  unquestioned  impartiality. 

On  4th  June  the  Pondoland  Annexation  Bill  was  read 
a  second  time  without  a  division,  and  a  fortnight  later 
Rhodes  made  an  interesting  speech  on  the  course  of  trade 
in  Rhodesia,  stating  that  when  applying  for  the  Mata- 
beleland  Order  in  Council,  he  endeavoured  to  insert  a 
clause  stipulating  that  Rhodesian  Customs  duties  should, 
in  respect  of  British  goods,  at  no  time  be  permitted  to 
exceed  the  tariff  then  in  force  at  the  Cape;  and  secondly, 
that  no  duties  at  all  should  be  leviable  on  Cape  produce. 
Her  Majesty's  Government,  he  said,  had  vetoed  his  sug- 
gestion on  the  ground  that  differential  duties  were  incom- 
patible with  their  general  fiscal  policy.  He  read  in  extenso 
his  Minute  on  the  subject,  dated  22nd  May — a  Minute 
which  had  received  the  support  of  the  High  Commis- 
sioner, but  in  which  Her  Majesty's  Government  had 
declined  to  acquiesce  unless  the  phrase  "British  goods" 
was  altered  to  read  "imported  goods,"  so  as  to  ensure 
against  Great  Britain  obtaining  any  advantage  over 
foreign  competitors. 

"The  provision,"  he  said,  "was  suggested  by  me  to 
prevent  the  imposition  of  prohibitive  duties  hereafter 
and  in  the  interests  of  Great  Britain,  whose  people  are 
beginning  to  see  that  the  only  return  that  can  be  made 
by  the  Colonies  they  have  founded  for  all  the  blood 
and  treasure  they  have  spent,  is  a  preferential  tariff  in 
favour  of  home  manufactures.  If  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment persist  in  rejecting  this  offer,  the  onus  rests  with 
them.  The  insertion  of  the  clause  is  immaterial  to  the 
Chartered  Company  and  is  solely  in  the  interests  of  the 
mother  country.      The  matter  is  over  for  the  present, 


112  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

but  the  views  of  home  politicians  change,  and  I  shall 
continue  to  use  all  my  influence  to  insist  on  my  offer  being 
carried  into  effect.  I  mean  to  fight  until  Her  Majesty's 
Government  give  in,  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  wiser 
counsels  will  ultimately  prevail.  (Hear,  hear,  and 
cheers.)" 

Rhodes  was  as  good  as  his  word.  He  fought  strenu- 
ously for  four  years,  with  the  result  that  clause  47  of 
a  new  Order  in  Council,  assented  to  on  20th  October, 
1898,  runs  as  follows: — 

"No  customs  duties  levied  on  any  articles  produced  or  manu- 
factured in  any  part  of  Her  Majesty's  Dominions  or  in  any  British 
Protectorate,  and  imported  into  Southern  Rhodesia,  shall  exceed 
in  amount  the  duties  levied  on  such  articles  according  to  the  tariff 
in  force  in  the  South  African  Customs  Union  at  the  commence- 
ment of  this  Order,  etc." 

By  virtue  of  this  provision  the  settlers  in  Rhodesia 
have  for  many  years  enjoyed  the  tariff  rates  prevailing 
in  1898,  although  far  higher  duties  have  since  been  levied 
by  the  remaining  parties  to  the  South  African  Customs 
Union:  and  secondly,  they  have  been  led  to  transact  the 
bulk  of  their  trade  with  Great  Britain,  owing  to  the  rise 
in  the  duties  on  foreign  goods. 

Other  more  important  oversea  dominions  of  the 
Empire  have  since  followed  where  Rhodes  led  the  way. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  above  speech  was  delivered, 
the  High  Commissioner  arrived  from  England,  but  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  Pretoria  under  instructions  from  the 
Marquis  of  Ripon  to  discuss  with  President  Kruger  the 
burning  questions  of  the  future  of  Swaziland,  the  com- 
mandeering of  British  subjects  against  their  will,  and  the 


A  BUSY  YEAR  113 

other  growing  grievances  of  the  Uitlanders.  It  is  im- 
portant to  note  that  this,  the  first  step  to  protect  British 
subjects  in  the  Transvaal,  was  taken  by  a  Liberal  Govern- 
ment. 

Unfortunately  Sir  Henry  Loch's  arrival  in  Pretoria 
was  made  the  occasion  of  an  unseemly  demonstration, 
the  British  flag  being  offensively  displayed,  much  to  the 
President's  annoyance.  This  was  an  inauspicious  pre- 
lude to  a  delicate  negotiation.  Ultimately  the  working 
basis  of  an  agreement  in  regard  to  Swaziland  was  arrived 
at,  and  British  subjects  at  the  front — or  in  gaol  for 
refusing  to  go  to  the  front — were  released,  but  the 
redress  of  other  substantial  grievances  was  evaded.  A 
month  after  the  High  Commissioner's  visit,  a  mass  meet- 
ing at  Johannesburg  having  demanded  the  franchise, 
the  Volksraad,  by  a  piece  of  lightning  legislation,  passed 
at  a  single  sitting  an  Ordinance  prohibiting,  under  threat 
of  fine  and  imprisonment,  any  outdoor  meeting  com- 
posed of  more  than  six  persons. 

This  was  a  poor  return  for  the  High  Commissioner's 
acquiescence  in  the  President's  request  that  he  would 
not  visit  Johannesburg.  His  letter  in  reply  to  that  of 
the  President  is  dated  27th  June,  1894,  and  is  a  model 
of  dignified  courtesy.  "I  am  encouraged  by  your  frank- 
ness to  be  equally  frank  with  your  Honour,"  he  said, 
"and  to  explain  the  views  I  have  formed  from  an  im- 
partial and  friendly  observation  of  the  existing  situation. 
British  subjects  have,  I  think,  some  very  real  and  sub- 
stantial grievances.  .  .  .  It  is  not  for  me  to  make 
any  detailed  suggestions  to  your  Honour  on  this  subject, 
but  I  may  bring  to  your  notice  one  consideration  which 
will  prove  to  your  Honour  the  importance  of  dealing 


114  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

with  any  grievances  that  may  exist  in  a  sympathetic 
spirit.  There  is,  I  believe,  an  ahen  white  population 
at  present  in  the  Republic  of  about  40,000  persons.  A 
few  years  may  see  this  population  almost  doubled,  and 
if  they  suffered  under  the  same  grievances,  it  would  be 
almost  impossible  to  avert  the  dangers  which  have 
already  threatened.  I  am  sure  your  Honour  will  not 
misunderstand  my  motives  in  making  these  observations. 
They  are  made  in  the  spirit  of  a  true  friend  with  a 
genuine  desire  to  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  people 
of  this  country,  and  I  shall  be  gratified  to  learn  that  any 
grievances  of  which  British  subjects  may  complain  will 
receive  the  early  consideration  of  your  Honour  and  your 
Honour's  Government." 

The  President  may  be  excused  for  doubting  whether 
the  "alien  population"  were  anxious  to  possess  a  fran- 
chise which,  with  burgher  rights,  entailed  burgher  respon- 
sibilities; but  it  is  regrettable  that  he  did  not  recognise 
the  ring  of  sincerity  underlying  these  utterances  of  an 
English  gentleman. 

Before  Sir  Henry  Loch  left  Pretoria,  an  address  was 
presented  to  him  signed  by  14,800  British  residents  in 
the  Republic,  assuring  His  Excellency  that  the  situation 
was  fraught  with  the  possibility  of  very  serious  results. 
But  the  President  was  inexorable  and  obsessed  with  the 
idea  that  Rhodes  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  agitation. 
The  best  evidence  of  the  fallacy  of  this  assumption  was 
subsequently  published  by  the  Transvaal  Government 
itself.  The  Republican  Green  Book  No.  2,  issued  after 
the  Raid,  contains  a  variety  of  letters  and  telegrams 
captured  by  the  Boers  at  Doornkop,  which  conclusively 
prove  that  at  the   date   of  Sir  Henry  Loch's  visit  the 


A  BUSY  YEAR  115 

leading  capitalists  were  holding  aloof  from  the  Reform 
movement  and  manifesting  a  disinclination  to  consult 
Rhodes  on  the  matter.  Thus  on  loth  June  Mr.  Lionel 
Phillips,  writing  to  Beit,  says: — 

"Kruger  is  no  friend  of  the  industry.  He  suspects 
we  are  all  working  in  concert  with  Rhodes,  sees  imagin- 
ary combinations  looming  in  the  distance  and  the  whole 
country  bought  up  by  Rhodes." 

Again,  on  i6th  June,  " and urge  me  to  go 

down  to  Cape  Town  and  talk  over  matters  with  Rhodes. 
.  Would  it  be  wise  to  trust  Rhodes's  advice? 
If  you  trust  him  and  cable  'See  Rhodes,'  I  will  run  down, 
but  my  own  feeling  is  still  to  wait." 

On  15th  July  he  writes,  "Just  got  your  cable  'Do  not 
see  Rhodes,'  of  which  I  am  rather  glad." 

The  Green  Book,  from  which  these  extracts  are  made, 
shows,  incidentally,  that  at  this  time  the  influence  of 
Rhodes  was  a  moderating  one.  One  of  the  extracts 
from  the  Hon.  R.  White's  captured  diary  reads  as 
follows : — 

"14th  April,  1894.  Arrived  at  Groote  Schuur  In  time 
to  lunch  with  Rhodes.  He  hopes  in  time,  by  force  of 
reason  and  weight  of  population,  to  win  over  the 
Transvaal." 

But  I  must  return  to  the  Cape  Parliament,  whose 
Dutch  members  were  much  moved  by  the  press  reports 
of  the  alleged  insult  to  the  Republican  flag  In  Pretoria. 
For  once  their  allegiance  to  Rhodes  was  seriously 
strained.  Blood  was  thicker  than  water  and  they  did 
not,  as  a  rule,  possess  that  larger  patriotism  which 
regarded  the  welfare  of  South  Africa  as  a  whole.  Their 
anxiety  was  rather  lest  their  Republican  cousins  should 


ii6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

be  coerced  to  abate  their  sovereign  rights.  Our  suzer- 
ainty they  ignored.  A  grave  warning,  given  by  the 
House  of  Assembly  to  Kruger  on  the  lines  of  that  for- 
mulated by  Loch,  would  have  carried  great  weight,  but  it 
was  never  given,  and  the  President  was  thus  tacitly 
encouraged  to  persevere  in  the  course  which  led  to  his 
undoing. 

On  27th  June  Van  der  Walt,  subsequently  a  rebel  to 
his  own  Government,  moved  as  an  unopposed  motion, 
"That  this  House  desires  to  express  its  regrets  at  and 
disapproval  of  the  unseemly  display  of  disrespect  towards 
the  President  and  Government  of  the  Transvaal  Republic 
by  individuals  representing  themselves  as  British  sub- 
jects on  the  occasion  of  the  official  and  friendly  visit  of 
His  Excellency  the  Governor  and  High  Commissioner." 
An  objection  being  raised,  the  motion  could  not  be  put, 
but  the  mover  attained  his  object  by  now  moving  the 
adjournment  of  the  House. 

Rhodes,  as  a  practical  politician,  was  anxious  not  to 
break  with  his  Bond  followers,  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  sincerely  believed  that  the  President's  obstinacy 
threatened  the  peace  of  South  Africa.  He  accordingly 
rose  and,  while  condemning  the  flag  incident,  pointed 
out  that  the  High  Commissioner's  visit  was  a  timely  one 
and  conceived  in  the  best  interests  of  the  country.  After 
considerable  discussion,  the  motion,  at  his  request,  was 
withdrawn. 

On  3rd  July  the  subject  of  the  approaching  Colonial 
Conference  at  Ottawa  was  discussed  and,  led  by  Rhodes, 
the  House  reaffirmed  "its  adhesion  to  the  policy  of 
preferential  relations  with  other  Colonies  and  with  the 
mother  country." 


A  BUSY  YEAR  117 

On  4th  July,  In  discussion  on  the  Estimates,  the 
House  exhibited  a  desire  to  relmpose  Customs  duties  at 
Walfisch  Bay,  which  had  been  suspended  In  favour  of 
the  German  Government,  Rhodes  while  admitting  that 
Germany  had  blocked  his  Transcontinental  Telegraph 
Company  for  two  years  on  paltry  pretexts,  still  depre- 
cated the  system  of  reprisals,  and  the  matter  dropped. 

On  7th  July  an  attempt,  annually  repeated,  was  made 
to  emasculate  the  law  for  the  eradication  of  scab  in  sheep. 
The  Cape  Dutch  flock-master,  always  an  individualist 
and  unable  to  grasp  the  value  of  corporate  action,  pas- 
sively and  sometimes  actively  resists  a  measure  designed 
to  improve  the  quality  of  Colonial  wool.  Rhodes  would 
not  yield  to  the  obsolete  prejudices  of  his  supporters 
on  the  point,  and  In  various  divisions  he  won  by  large 
majorities. 

On  26th  July  he  moved  the  second  reading  of  his 
principal  measure,  the  Glen  Grey  Bill,  which  he  proposed 
as  a  solution  of  the  vexed  question  of  native  land  tenure, 
and  as  calculated  to  raise  the  status  of  the  coloured 
races  by  interesting  them  in  a  simple  system  of  local 
self-government.  He  propounded  his  scheme  In  a 
speech  extending  over  an  hour  and  forty  minutes.  Briefly 
put,  he  desired  to  prevent  white  men  from  obtaining 
a  footing  in  native  territories  and  ousting  the  natives 
from  the  soil.  He  therefore  proposed  to  establish 
Village  and  District  Councils  on  which  natives  could  sit 
to  discuss  educational  and  other  questions,  with  power 
to  levy  rates  and  partially  remit  them  where  the  appli- 
cant had  served  a  white  master  for  a  specific  period. 
It  was  In  many  respects  a  novel  and  courageous  Bill, 
and  was  received  by  the  House  with  approval.      The 


ii8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

debate  was  continued  on  30th  July  and  on  2nd  August. 
Criticisms  there  were,  but  no  important  member  chal- 
lenged the  principles  of  the  measure.  Merriman  made 
a  fine  speech,  critical  but  appreciative.  Sauer  and  Innes 
displayed  the  same  spirit,  and  Rhodes  having  summed 
up,  the  second  reading  was  carried  by  62  to  3. 

The  following  week  in  Committee,  the  Bill  met  with 
a  stormier  reception,  culminating  in  obstruction,  where- 
upon Rhodes  announced  that  he  would  sit  all  night 
rather  than  give  way.  And  sit  he  did,  till  seven  o'clock 
on  the  following  morning.  The  Government  majorities, 
save  in  regard  to  one  unimportant  sub-section,  were 
always  substantial,  and  on  9th  August  the  Bill  was  read 
a  third  time  by  51  to  16,  and  after  some  slight  amend- 
ments in  the  Upper  House,  it  was  finally  passed  into  law. 

As  it  is  important  to  define  the  attitude  of  Rhodes 
to  the  natives  in  his  own  words,  I  subjoin  the  following 
extract  from  his  introductory  speech. 

"There  seems,"  he  said,  "a  general  feeling  that  the 
natives  are  a  distinct  source  of  trouble  and  loss  to  the 
country.  I  take  a  different  view.  When  I  see  the 
troubles  that  are  going  to  arise  in  England  over  the 
social  and  labour  questions,  I  feel  glad  that  here  the 
question  of  labour  is  a  native  question.  We  shall,  there- 
fore, not  have  here  what  recently  occurred  in  Chicago, 
where  the  labour  party  wrecked  the  city.  Properly 
directed  and  looked  after,  I  think  our  natives  should  be 
an  assistance  to  us  and  a  source  of  wealth.  I  have  the 
responsibility,  on  one  side  of  the  Zambesi  and  the  other, 
for  2,000,000  natives,  and  the  House  has  generally  left 
to  me  the  settlement  of  the  questions  bearing  upon  the 
government    of    these    people.       They    are    increasing 


A  BUSY  YEAR  119 

enormously:  their  locations  are  too  small  for  them.  The 
old  diminution  by  pestilence  and  wars  has  ceased.  We 
have  put  nothing  In  the  place  of  their  old  tribal  war  and 
intrigue,  which  were  excellent  things  in  their  way  to 
keep  their  minds  employed.  (Laughter.)  We  have 
instead  placed  canteens  In  their  midst  and  never  taught 
them  the  dignity  of  labour,  though  their  labour  is  badly 
wanted.  (Hear,  hear.)  Natives  have  said  to  me,  'do 
let  us  try  to  deal  with  some  of  our  own  questions.'  In 
submitting  these  facts  to  the  House,  I  may  say  I  desire 
to  give  the  natives  an  interest  in  the  land:  to  allow  the 
superior  minds  among  them  to  attend  to  their  local  wants; 
to  close  the  canteens  and  give  a  stimulus  to  labour. 
These  are  the  four  principal  points  In  the  Bill.  Glen 
Grey  alone  is  dealt  with,  but  If  the  policy  succeeds, 
I  shall  ask  the  House  to  apply  the  Act  to  other  areas. 
Then  there  Is  the  question  of  polygamy.  Some  members 
urge  that  the  natives  should,  in  this  respect,  be  as  our- 
selves. Whatever  may  happen  in  the  future,  this  Is  not 
at  present  a  tenable  proposition.  When  in  the  Transkei 
a  little  while  ago,  I  came  across  an  intelligent  native 
with  six  wives.  He  told  me  the  Missionaries  had  urged 
him  to  read  the  Bible  and  put  away  all  his  wives  but  one. 
But  he  had  read  in  the  Bible  that  many  people  had 
many  wives — (laughter) — and  he  could  find  no  instruc- 
tion to  put  away  all  but  one.  He  asked  my  opinion — 
(laughter) — but  I  told  him  I  had  no  wife  at  all. 
(Laughter.)  With  regard  to  the  franchise,  It  will 
remain  the  same  as  before.  If  natives  are  already 
validly  on  the  register  they  will  have  a  vote,  and  In  any 
case  the  erection  of  a  house  of  the  value  of  £75  will 
qualify  them.      I  propose  to   displace  those  who  have 


I20  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

been  improperly  placed  on  the  register  for  party  pur- 
poses. The  next  feature  of  the  Bill  is  the  Labour  Tax. 
It  is  not  slavery  but  a  gentle  stimulus.  I  think  it  will 
prove  an  inducement  to  men  to  go  out  and  work.  Those 
who  do  will  be  better  off  under  the  Act  than  they  were 
before.  I  would  tax  the  natives  moderately,  but,  by 
means  of  a  native  Council,  I  would  allow  them  to  deal 
with  their  own  revenue  and  their  own  local  affairs,  their 
roads,  bridges  and  schools.  Veldman  (a  Fingo  chief), 
whose  name  is  a  household  word,  begged  me  to  do 
something  of  this  kind.  Then  as  to  the  liquor.  I 
know  its  curse :  I  have  studied  the  Report  of  the  Labour 
Commission.  I  have  personally  helped  at  the  Diamond 
Fields  to  make  10,000  of  these  poor  adult  children 
healthy  and  happy.  In  their  former  condition  they 
were  living  in  a  hell  upon  earth.  I  would  close  the  can- 
teens with  compensation. 

"Now  I  come  to  the  question  of  Title.  My  idea  Is 
that  the  natives  should  be  in  Reserves  and  not  mixed 
up  with  white  men.  I  would  allow  no  native  allotment 
to  be  sold  without  Government  consent,  and  I  would 
forfeit  an  allotment  for  crime  or  neglect  to  cultivate, 
and  lastly,  I  would  prohibit  subdivision.  It  is  now  for 
the  House  to  determine  whether  the  Bill  carries  out  the 
policy  aimed  at.  It  is  an  earnest  effort  to  deal  with  the 
natives  for  their  own  benefit  and  ours,  and  to  teach 
them  how  to  contribute  to  the  common  prosperity  by 
giving  us  some  return  for  the  good  government  we  have 
afforded  them."      (Loud  cheers.) 

The  insight  displayed  in  this  speech  contributed  to 
the  passage  of  the  Bill,  and  as  soon  as  the  measure  was 
through  both  Houses  the  session  terminated,   Rhodes's 


A  BUSY  YEAR  121 

parting  words  being,  "The  Government  are  perfectly 
satisfied  with  the  session,  (Laughter  and  cheers.)  I 
have  been  fourteen  years  in  the  House  and  have  never 
known  a  session — (more  laughter  and  cheers) — well,  the 
decision  can  be  left  to  the  country.     (Hear,  hear.)" 

During  the  session  Rhodes  had  found  time  to  send 
a  long  letter  to  the  Saturday  Review  to  elucidate  his 
views  on  the  Tariff  question,  and  to  remove  the  appre- 
hensions of  that  paper  as  to  the  possible  results  of  his 
Fiscal  policy. 

Groote  Schuur,  by  this  time,  had  become  an  open 
house  for  political  and  private  friends  and  distinguished 
visitors.  The  Archbishop  of  Armagh  was  there  during 
the  session,  followed,  later,  by  Baron  Ferdinand  de 
Rothschild,  by  the  Duke  of  Abercorn  and  many  others. 
But  Rhodes  was  seldom  at  home.  On  loth  September 
Schreiner  returned  to  the  Ministry  as  Attorney-General, 
and  Rhodes  started  for  the  North.  There  was  no  longer 
any  necessity  for  travelling  coastwise  by  way  of  Beira. 
On  this  occasion,  therefore,  he  proceeded  overland  via 
Kimberley  and  Bulawayo,  taking  with  him  as  travelling 
companion  the  well-known  American  mining  engineer, 
Mr.  John  Hays  Hammond.  He  left  some  threatening 
complications  behind  him.  The  troubles  of  Germany  in 
South-West  Africa  were  already  coming  to  a  head,  while 
on  the  East  Coast  the  Portuguese  were  virtually  besieged 
by  native  tribes,  who  threatened  Lourenco  Marques  itself. 
True  to  his  policy  of  supporting  white  rule  against  native 
revolt,  Rhodes  offered  armed  assistance  to  the  Portu- 
guese, which,  on  the  nth  October,  was  gratefully 
declined  as  unnecessary. 

The  Swazis  were  also  discontented  at  the  terms  of 


122  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Sir  Henry  Loch's  Convention,  which  virtually  handed 
their  Territory  over  to  the  Boers,  and  they  sent  a  depu- 
tation to  England  praying  for  a  British  protectorate, 
which  was  refused. 

Mr.  Hammond  shall  tell  the  story  of  his  trip  with 
Rhodes  in  his  own  words.  Under  date  the  31st  October, 
1907,  he  writes  to  me: — 

"There  is  an  impression  in  this  country,  where  little 
is  really  know  of  Cecil  Rhodes,  that  an  important  part 
of  his  fame  rests  upon  the  fact  that  he  was  a  great 
financier,  and  was  not  altogether  scrupulous  as  to  his 
methods  of  finance.  This  is  a  great  injustice  to  him, 
and  my  business  relations,  which  were  most  intimate, 
entirely  refute  such  impressions. 

"He  was  a  man  who  cared  little  for  money,  save  to  do 
big  things,  chiefly  for  the  benefit  of  South  Africa,  and 
he  was  exceptionally  scrupulous  as  to  the  methods 
employed  to  make  money.  I  think  I  can  tell  you  an 
experience  that  I  had  with  him  which  was  strikingly 
characteristic  of  him  in  this  regard. 

"In  1894  I  made  a  trip,  with  Rhodes  and  Jameson, 
through  what  was  then  known  as  Matabeleland  and 
Mashonaland.  I  visited  those  countries  in  a  profes- 
sional capacity  to  determine  their  value  from  a  mining 
point  of  view.  It  was  of  the  greatest  moment  to  Rhodes 
at  the  time  that  my  report  should  be  favourable,  both 
for  political  and  financial  reasons.  Notwithstanding 
this  fact,  during  the  many  days  that  we  rode  and  drove 
together  there  was  not  the  slightest  attempt  on  his  part 
to  influence  my  opinion,  nor,  indeed,  did  he  endeavour 
to  obtain  from  me  any  premature  expression  of  opinion 
as  to  the  value  of  the  country.     He  showed  most  excep- 


A  BUSY  YEAR  123 

tional  delicacy  in  abstaining  from  embarrassing  questions 
— questions  that  nine  men  out  of  ten  would  have  asked 
me — and,  as  he  was  making  these  trips  solely  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  me  the  country,  with  the  hope  that 
my  report  would  be  favourable,  which  meant  the  invest- 
ment of  large  sums  by  the  British  capitalists  for  the 
development  of  the  country,  this  showed  extreme  con- 
sideration on  his  part. 

"Before  my  examination  was  completed  I  was  enabled 
to  give  Rhodes  an  expression  of  opinion  from  a  geologi- 
cal point  of  view  as  to  the  mining  possibilities.  After 
several  weeks  spent  in  this  work,  we  arrived  in  Johannes- 
burg, and  I  prepared  my  report  and  submitted  it  to  him 
shortly  afterwards.  Dr.  Jameson,  and  another  man 
prominently  connected  with  the  Chartered  Company  and 
interested  in  the  stock  of  that  Company,  were  present 
when  I  read  my  report.  This  other  party  (not  Dr. 
Jameson)  after  I  had  read  my  report,  said,  'Well,  if  we 
have  to  depend  on  Hammond's  geological  report  to  raise 
money  for  this  country,  I  do  not  think  the  outlook  is  very 
encouraging,  for,  if  he  cannot  say  anything  stronger  than 
that,  I  have  not  much  hope  for  the  future  of  the 
Chartered  Company.'  Mr.  Rhodes  replied  immediately, 
'You  are  one  of  the  men  that  simply  look  on  the 
Chartered  Company  as  a  means  of  making  money 
through  the  sale  of  shares.  But  Hammond  is  absolutely 
right.  He  has  said  everything  that  he  is  justified  in  say- 
ing, and  the  public  will  see  that  it  is  the  report  of  a  con- 
scientious engineer  and  fully  credit  every  word  he  says. 
You  had  better  go  and  sell  your  Chartered  shares.' 

"There  are  other  hard  things  said  against  Rhodes 
by  people  who  are  not  friendly  or  did  not  know  him. 


124  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Among  these  things  I  have  often  heard  It  stated  that  he 
was  a  cold-blooded  man  who  would  not  hesitate  to 
sacrifice  his  best  friend,  and  I  was  told  after  our  arrest 
and  imprisonment  during  the  time  of  the  Jameson  Raid 
in  1896,  'that  It  was  not  worrying  Rhodes  very  much.' 
On  this  point  I  have  absolute  refutation  from  Information 
that  I  received  some  time  afterwards  from  those  persons 
who  were  present  with  him  when  he  heard  of  our  death 
sentence.  He  was  almost  frantic  at  that  time  with 
anxiety  about  us.  I  met  him  a  few  months  after  our 
release,  in  London,  the  first  night  he  arrived  from  South 
Africa  in  connection  with  the  Raid  investigation.  I 
called  at  his  hotel,  at  his  request.  There  were  a  great 
many  very  important  persons  to  see  him  on  his  arrival. 
He  espied  me  In  the  back  of  the  crowd  and  came  forward 
and  took  me  by  the  hand  and  said,  'Hammond,  I  want  to 
see  you,  old  fellow.'  I  said,  'I  can  wait  awhile,  for 
there  are  a  lot  of  others  ahead  of  me  here,  and  if  you 
have  not  any  other  engagement,  I  will  stay  and  take 
dinner  with  you  to-night,  and  we  can  have  a  long  talk 
then.'  He  replied,  'No,  come  with  me  now.'  He  took 
me  to  his  bedroom  and  was  greatly  affected  when  he  told 
me  how  anxious  and  distressed  he  had  been  about  the 
four  leaders,  and,  especially,  about  me,  as  my  wife  was 
in  delicate  health  at  the  time. 

"On  another  occasion,  shortly  afterwards,  there  was 
another  episode  which  indicated  greatness  of  character 
in  Mr.  Rhodes.  Soon  after  his  return  to  England,  on 
the  occasion  I  have  referred  to,  the  Baroness  Burdett 
Coutts  gave  a  large  dinner  and  reception  in  his  honour. 
Mrs.  Hammond  and  I  were  invited,  and,  as  we  entered 
the   dpor,    Mr.    Rhodes,    who   was   receiving   with   the 


A  BUSY  YEAR  125 

Baroness,  grasped  my  wife  by  the  hand  and  took  her 
aside  and  said,  'Mrs.  Hammond,  I  know  what  you  have 
been  thinking  about  me.  The  last  time  I  saw  you  I  told 
you  that  I  never  spent  sleepless  nights,  but  I  have  spent 
many  of  them  since  that  time.  You  have  also  thought,' 
he  went  on,  'that  this  setback  that  I  have  had  in  my 
career  would  be  a  good  thing  for  me,  as  I  was  getting 
too  arbitrary  in  my  ways  of  thinking  and  acting,  and  I 
want  to  tell  you  that  you  are  entirely  right.  It  is  a 
terrible  humbling  of  my  pride,  but,  in  the  long  run,  It 
will  be  a  splendid  thing  for  me,  because  it  will  make  me 
a  far  more  reasonable  and  considerate  man.'  " 

Another  companion  of  Rhodes  during  the  trips  with 
Mr.  Hammond  writes  to  me  as  follows: — 

"One  incident  of  our  tour  may  be  described.  It 
occurred  on  the  way  out  to  the  Ayrshire  Mine,  We 
met  a  prospector  walking  to  the  mine.  Mr.  Rhodes 
pulled  up  at  once  and  insisted  on  his  getting  into  the 
waggon  and  travelling  with  us  the  rest  of  the  way. 
At  dinner  that  night  at  Mr.  Rhodes's  request,  he  related 
some  of  his  experiences  and  told  us  he  was  going  home 
to  be  married  at  the  end  of  the  year.  'Mind  you  let 
me  know  the  date,'  said  Mr.  Rhodes,  and  the  man  got 
a  handsome  present  when  the  event  came  off.  It  was 
by  such  acts  as  this  that  he  made  himself  so  beloved. 
He  always  had  a  sympathetic  ear  and  never  refused  an 
interview,  and  he  frequently  sought  out  and  helped  the 
pioneers  of  1890  and  the  members  of  the  Matabele  field 
force  of  1893." 

On  23rd  October  Rhodes,  back  at  Kimberley  from  the 
North,  again  left  for  Cape  Town,  where,  on  27th  of  the 
same    month,    he    attended    a    banquet    given    to    Dr. 


126  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Jameson.  In  response  to  the  toast  of  the  Ministry, 
Rhodes  paid  a  high  tribute  to  the  courtesy,  love  of  order 
and  consideration  for  opponents  characterising  the 
various  Cape  Parhaments  in  which  he  had  been  privileged 
to  sit. 

Four  days  later,  he  sailed  in  the  Dunottar  Castle  for 
England,  where  he  arrived  on  17th  November,  and  at 
once  plunged  into  negotiations  with  the  Foreign  and 
Colonial  Offices  regarding  the  administration  of  that 
portion  of  South  Central  Africa  now  known  as  North- 
Eastern  Rhodesia.  The  arrangement  finally  come  to 
took  effect  from  31st  December,  but  the  document, 
signed  for  Her  Majesty's  Government  by  H.  Percy 
Anderson  and  for  the  Chartered  Company  by  Rhodes, 
is  dated  24th  November,  only  a  week  after  the  latter 
landed.  No  wonder  one  of  the  Foreign  Office  officials 
ruefully  described  him  as  a  "hustler."  Moreover,  this 
transaction  by  no  means  exhausted  his  business  activities, 
for  he  threw  himself  simultaneously  heart  and  soul  into 
his  great  project  of  the  Cape  to  Cairo  Transcontinental 
Telegraph  Company;  and  he  found  time  to  visit  Con- 
stantinople, interview  the  Sultan  and,  contrary  to  all  pre- 
cedent, obtained  permission  to  export  thoroughbred 
Angora  goats  to  South  Africa. 

The  whole  year  1894  is,  indeed,  a  signal  example  of 
Rhodes's  untiring  and  successful  energy.  At  its  close 
he  again  found  himself  one  of  the  lions  of  the  London 
season,  a  transient  glory  for  which  he  had  no  fancy. 
On  Friday,  7th  December,  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  writes 
to  me : — 

"I  met  Rhodes  at  dinner  last  night.  He  is  in  great 
form  and  being  made  much  of  all  round.     He  dined  and 


A  BUSY  YEAR  127 

slept  at  Windsor  on  Tuesday  last,  and  next  Sunday  is 
to  stay  with  Lord  Rosebery  at  Mentmore.  I  advised 
him,  on  landing,  to  avoid  speechmaking,  and  he  has 
done  so — I  think  with  much  advantage." 

On  20th  December,  Rhodes  received  a  note  from  Sir 
W.  Vernon  Harcourt,  from  which  I  quote  a  character- 
istic sentence,  "Is  there  any  chance  of  persuading  you 
to  pay  us  a  visit  in  our  Forest,  almost  as  savage  as  your 
Matabeleland?  You  cannot  transact  any  business  in  Lon- 
don at  Christmas  time,  and  we  could  sell  you  any  number 
of  telegraph  poles  here." 

Earlier  in  the  year  Mrs.  Gladstone  had  written  to 
him  from  Dollis  Hill,  recommending  a  friendless  young 
settler  to  his  notice  and  adding,  "My  husband  wishes  to 
be  remembered  to  you.  He  is  well  and  enjoying  his 
freedom." 

It  is  clear  from  many  other  letters  found  among  his 
papers,  that  during  the  year  now  under  review  Rhodes 
was  recognised  in  the  most  influential  circles  as  a  great 
Colonial  statesman,  a  man  to  be  counted  and  reckoned 
with  on  all  the  burning  questions  of  the  day. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
THE  GATHERING  STORM  (1895) 

Rhodes  a  Privy  Councillor — Blackballed  at  Travellers'  Club — Reform 
and  Athenaeum  Clubs  elect  him — Meeting  of  Chartered  share- 
holders— Kruger  and  Germany — Dr.  Leyds — Swaziland — Ama- 
tongaland — Mr.  St.  Leger — Mr.  Edmund  Garrett — Retirement  of 
Sir  H.  Loch — Rhodes  in  House  of  Assembly — An  educated  native 
— Arrival  of  Sir  H.  Robinson — Annexation  of  Bechuanaland — 
Merriman  calls  for  papers — Walfisch  Bay — Hofmeyr's  birthday — 
House  prorogued — Mr.  Chamberlain — Seious— ^Transvaal  pin-pricks 
— Orange  Free  State  policy — High  Commissioner  visits  Transvaal 
— A  "jumping-off"  ground — Drifts  question — Gravity  of  position 
— Jameson  Raid. 

The  year  1895  will  long  be  remembered  in  South  Africa. 
The  Uitlander  question  in  the  Transvaal  developed  day 
by  day.  At  first  a  little  cloud  no  bigger  than  a  man's 
hand,  it  gradually  overspread  the  political  firmament. 
Reflective  minds  saw,  as  a  possibility,  that  an  armed 
conflict  between  the  two  white  races  might  open  up  the 
far  greater  question  of  the  attitude  of  the  native  popu- 
lation towards  both. 

During  the  year  Rhodes  touched  both  high  and  low 
watermark.  On  ist  January  he  was  gazetted  a  Privy 
Councillor,  and  on  2nd  February,  at  the  Court  at  Osborne 
House,  he  took  the  quaint  oath  to  "lett  and  withstand 
anything  said  or  done  against  the  Dignity  Royal."  On 
31st  December  his  unique  power  and  prestige  tumbled 
into  ruin,  and  he  was  apparently  a  broken  man. 

During  January  he  remained  quietly  in  England, 
gathering  up   the   threads   of  his  multifarious   business 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  129 

affairs.  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  writing  to  me  on  i8th 
January,  said,  "I  had  a  long  talk  with  Rhodes  yesterday. 
He  is  well  and  less  irritable  than  on  his  last  visit." 

His  headquarters  were,  as  usual,  at  the  Burlington 
Hotel,  and  its  manager  still  recalls  with  pleasure  that, 
having  a  son  born  to  him  that  month,  Rhodes  made 
daily  inquiries  as  to  the  health  of  the  baby.* 

It  was  also  in  January  that  he  came  up  for  election 
at  the  Travellers'  Club  and  was  blackballed.  Incon- 
spicuous, respectable  mediocrities  generally  pass  this 
ordeal  successfully,  but  a  much-advertised  candidate,  the 
theme  of  newspaper  gossip,  the  man  with  many  friends 
and  therefore  with  many  foes,  often  finds  the  ballot-box 
utilised  against  him.  An  indignant  friend  and  admirer 
wrote  to  Rhodes  that  the  Committee  of  the  Reform  Club 
were  prepared  to  make  amends  by  electing  him  as  one 
of  three  eminent  persons,  whom  they  were  entitled 
annually  to  appoint  members  without  a  ballot.  Rhodes, 
however,  had  returned  to  the  Cape  in  the  Athenian, 
arriving  there  on  19th  February.  The  following  was 
his  reply,  which,  for  a  wonder,  bears  a  date : — 

"lO/A  April,  1895. 
"My  dear  Sir, — Many  thanks  for  your  kind  offer 
as  to  the  Reform  Club.  I  have,  however — for  a  non- 
resident— clubs  enough,  as  I  belong  to  St.  James's  and 
Union.  I  hear  they  declined  to  have  me  at  the  Travel- 
lers' :  I  suppose  because  I  am  written  about.  I  was  not 
aware  I  was  up,  as  I  was  put  down  by  an  old  friend,  Guy 

*  During  this  month  he  attended  the  Imperial  Institute  on  one  occa- 
sion when  Dr.  Jameson  delivered  a  lecture.  The  Prince  of  Wales  was 
present,  and  made  a  short  speech  which  contained  graceful  reference 
to  the  presence  of  Rhodes. 


130  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Dawnay,  dead  these  ten  years  ago,  and  I  had  forgotten 
all  about  it. — Yours  truly,  C.  J.  Rhodes." 

The  Committee  of  the  Athenaeum,  however,  on  the 
proposal  of  Mr,  R.  H.  Meade,  seconded  by  Lord  Rose- 
bery,  elected  him  while  he  was  on  the  water,  and  cabled 
to  him  that  they  had  done  so. 

Before  leaving  England,  Rhodes,  on  i8th  January, 
spoke  at  a  meeting  of  the  shareholders  of  the  Chartered 
Company  held  at  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel.  The  meeting 
was  fixed  for  noon,  but  an  hour  before,  the  doors  had 
to  be  thrown  open  owing  to  the  vast  crowd  assembled. 
The  Duke  of  Fife  was  in  the  chair,  supported  by  Earl 
Grey  and  others.  Rhodes,  and  Jameson  who  was  with 
him,  had  an  enthusiastic  reception.  The  Duke,  who 
made  an  excellent  speech,  closed  with  these  words :  "It 
has  sometimes  been  said  that  my  friend,  Mr.  Cecil 
Rhodes,  exercises  a  spell  over  our  fellow-subjects  in  South 
Africa.  I  do  not  know  if  this  be  true,  but  when  I  made 
his  acquaintance  six  years  ago,  and  when  he  sketched  out 
his  views  and  emphasised  them  by  huge  pencil  strokes 
on  a  map,  I  could  not  but  see  what  vast  possibilities  for 
British  enterprise  and  colonisation  were  opening  out  in 
this,  almost  the  last,  unoccupied  space  of  the  world,  and 
it  will  always  be  to  me  a  pleasure  to  have  been  associated, 
however  humbly,  with  this  great  Company  which  has 
added  two  immense  provinces  to  the  British  Empire." 

Rhodes  in  his  subsequent  speech  was  in  his  happiest 
vein  and,  while  holding  out  hopes  that  the  country  would 
eventually  become  a  great  asset  of  the  Empire,  he  was 
careful  not  to  promise  dividends;  indeed,  he  remarked, 
"When  you  shareholders  came  into  our  Company  you 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  131 

came  into  a  speculative  concern,  certainly  not  into  Con- 
sols or  French  Rentes."  He  even  admitted  that  portions 
of  the  Territory  were  unhealthy,  and  that  the  draw- 
backs to  success  were  many  and  formidable,  but  under- 
lying these  words  of  caution  there  breathed  such  a  cheery 
optimism  and  such  high  Imperial  aspirations,  that  share- 
holders, usually  so  prosaic,  were  fascinated  by  an  address 
in  which  imaginative  powers  and  business  capacity  were 
strangely  interwoven.  A  much  larger  circle  of  English- 
men, when  reading  the  speech,  were  reassured  as  to  the 
future  in  South  Africa,  by  an  incidental  utterance  of 
Rhodes  to  the  effect  that  he  expected  no  trouble  with 
the  Transvaal. 

Eight  days  later,  however,  came  a  disturbing  response 
from  Pretoria,  where  a  banquet  was  given  in  honour  of 
the  Kaiser's  birthday.  Kruger  attended  and  made  a  sig- 
nificant speech.  "I  know,"  he  said,  "I  may  count  on  the 
Germans  in  future,  and  I  hope  Transvaalers  will  do  their 
best  to  foster  the  friendship  that  exists  between  them. 
.  .  .  I  feel  certain  that  when  the  time  comes  for  the 
Republic  to  wear  larger  clothes,  you  {i.e.  Germany)  will 
have  done  much  to  bring  it  about.  .  .  .  The  time  is 
coming  for  our  friendship  to  be  more  firmly  established 
than  ever." 

In  the  light  of  after  events  it  Is  easy  to  see  that  the 
President  was  relying  with  confidence  on  German  Inter- 
vention in  the  event  of  an  armed  conflict  with  the  British 
Government.  Dr.  Leyds,  at  that  time  holding  a  roving 
commission  as  Plenipotentiary  to  all  Europe,  was  no 
doubt  the  channel  through  whom  Kruger  received  verbal 
assurances  of  moral,  if  not  of  material  support.  We 
shall  see  later  what  the  assistance  amounted  to. 


132  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

The  difference  in  temperament  and  policy  between 
Rhodes  and  Kruger  is  illustrated  by  an  interview  given 
by  the  former  to  the  Morning  Post  before  he  left  Eng- 
land. "If  I,"  he  said,  "were  President  Kruger,  I  dare 
say  I  might  not  have  given  the  Uitlanders  the  franchise, 
because  that  might  have  ended  my  own  power.  But  I 
would  have  made  my  new  population  comfortable  and 
given  them  justice.  The  law,  as  we  know,  Is  under  the 
heel  of  the  President.  A  Judge  gives  a  decision,  and 
then  a  motion,  slipped  through  the  Raad,  revokes  it. 
Every  concession,  almost  every  piece  of  Departmental 
business  transacted,  must  be  arranged  with  bribes." 

Here  is  the  position  in  a  nutshell.  Rhodes,  having 
power,  would  have  clung  to  It  like  Kruger,  but  by  other 
methods,  by  contenting  the  people  as  to  their  material 
interests;  by  "making  friends"  with  them,  as  Brand  sa- 
gaciously advised.  The  great  body  of  the  Uitlanders 
valued  franchise  rights  only  as  a  means  to  an  end,  and 
that  end  rational  legislation  as  affecting  the  gold  industry, 
and  pure  administration. 

In  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  Swaziland  Con- 
vention, the  President  now  issued  a  Proclamation  assum- 
ing the  government  of  that  Territory,  the  acquisition  of 
which  he  regarded  as  a  step  towards  obtaining  access  to 
the  sea.  In  this  he  was  disappointed.  Her  Majesty's 
Government  promptly  checked  this  dangerous  ambition 
by  annexing  the  whole  of  Amatongaland,  which  lay  be- 
tween Swaziland  and  the  coast.  The  President  expressed 
his  "astonishment  and  regret,"  and  declared  that  the  act 
was  an  unfriendly  one.  But  after  the  Pretoria  speech  no 
other  course  was  possible. 

Early  in  1895  an  event  occurred  In  South  Africa,  su- 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  133 

perficially  unimportant  but  not  without  results.  The 
Cape  Times  was  then,  as  now,  the  leading  organ  of  Brit- 
ish Colonial  opinion  in  the  country.  Its  editor,  Mr,  F. 
Y.  St.  Leger,  an  able  craftsman  distinguished  for  his 
high  sense  of  honour  and  no  less  keen  sense  of  humour, 
retired  owing  to  ill-health,  and  was  succeeded  by  one  of 
the  young  lions  of  the  London  press,  a  disciple  of  Stead 
and  trained  on  the  staff  of  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette.  Mr. 
Edmund  Garrett  was  a  brilliant  writer  and  possessed  of 
extraordinary  energy.  Into  the  whirlpool  of  South  Afri- 
can politics  he  threw  himself  with  infinite  zest,  and  ulti- 
mately secured  a  seat  in  the  Cape  Parliament.  His  foes 
accused  him  of  taking  himself  too  seriously,  and  he  him- 
self probably  over-estimated  his  influence  over  Rhodes, 
but  there  can  be  no  question  that  he  and  his  paper  became 
a  power  in  the  land,  and,  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
he  may  fairly  claim  to  have  deflected  the  course  of  our 
history.  His  independent  support  was  of  essential  serv- 
ice to  Rhodes,  although  the  attitude  of  candid  friend  is 
not  always  a  palatable  one. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  oflSce  in  1895,  Sir 
Henry  Loch  left  the  Colony  without  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  his  successor,  and  Parliament  was  opened  on  2nd  May 
by  General  Goodenough.  The  Administrator's  speech 
stated  that  the  completion  of  the  Transvaal  Railway 
from  Delagoa  Bay  had  stimulated  competition  and  unfa- 
vourably affected  the  through  transit  trade  of  the  Colony; 
that  a  conference  of  the  States  concerned  had  recently 
been  held  in  Cape  Town,  but  without  arriving  at  any 
agreement  as  to  a  division  of  traflSc.  As  a  remedy  for 
this  diminution  of  external  trade,  Ministers  recommended 
internal  development  through  the  medium  of  branch  rail- 


134  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

ways.  A  reduction  in  cable  rates,  so  long  striven  for, 
was  announced,  as  well  as  the  extension  of  the  Glen  Grey 
Act  to  the  Transkeian  territories.  The  annexation  of 
Pondoland  was  described  as  complete,  despite  temporary 
local  resistance.  General  Goodenough  added  that  in  pur- 
suance of  settled  policy  a  Resolution  would  be  submitted 
for  the  annexation  of  the  Crown  Colony  of  British 
Bechuanaland.  Transvaal  ambitions  in  this  direction 
were  thus  finally  extinguished. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  new  session,  Rhodes  voiced  the 
regret  of  the  House  at  the  enforced  absence  of  Hof- 
meyr,  owing  to  continued  ill-health. 

"He  himself,  his  colleagues  and  the  whole  House  re- 
gretted," he  said,  "the  absence  of  its  distinguished  mem- 
ber. He  was  a  man  of  broad  mind,  who  had  deeply 
considered  all  questions  affecting  the  Colony.  Through 
his  efforts  the  Swaziland  Convention  had  been  brought 
about — a  Convention  which  was,  he  believed,  an  act  of 
justice  to  the  Transvaal."  The  motion  was  carried 
unanimously.  The  skill  will  be  observed  with  which 
Rhodes  identified  Hofmeyr  and  his  followers  with  the 
policy  of  effecting,  wherever  possible,  an  amicable  settle- 
ment of  outstanding  South  African  differences. 

On  1 6th  May  I  find  Rhodes  and  Merriman  in  friendly 
correspondence  on  the  subject  of  colonising  the  Kalihari 
to  relieve  the  distress  of  landless  Colonists.  "You  are 
right,"  says  Merriman,  "in  thinking  the  subject  of  great 
importance." 

Among  the  lighter  touches  of  the  time  I  quote  from 
a  letter  to  Rhodes  from  an  educated  native  stating  inter 
alia,  "I  never  forgotten  the  well  treatment  I  re- 
ceived from  you  at  Queens  Town.     I  consider  you  my 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  135 

father  and  beg  to  inform  you  that  I  want  to  come  and 
work  for  you  in  Cape  Town." 

It  is  evidence  that  employment  was  given,  for  the  let- 
ter is  endorsed  in  the  handwriting  of  Rhodes,  "The  faith- 
ful native!  He  worked  a  week,  but  household  duties 
beneath  his  dignity." 

On  29th  May  the  new  Governor  and  High  Commis- 
sioner arrived  in  the  person  of  Sir  Hercules  Robinson, 
who,  against  his  better  judgment,  had  been  persuaded  to 
accept  the  arduous  responsibilities  of  a  second  term  of 
office.  It  was  moved  that  the  House  adjourn  in  order 
to  meet  His  Excellency  on  arrival.  An  English-speaking 
member  raised  objections  to  this  course  and  criticised 
the  appointment  with  acerbity,  whereupon  a  Dutch  mem- 
ber declared  that  he  was  ashamed  of  the  speaker.  Sauer 
defended  the  Governor  as  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
servants  of  the  Crown,  and  Merriman  remarked  that  Sir 
Hercules  was  beyond  the  suspicion  of  a  reproach  and  that 
his  previous  rule  had  been  of  the  greatest  service  to  the 
Colony.  The  adjournment  was  carried  with  only  one 
dissentient  voice. 

On  5th  June  Rhodes  gave  notice  to  move,  "That  in 
the  opinion  of  this  House  it  is  expedient  that  the  Crown 
Colony  of  British  Bechuanaland  should  be  annexed  to 
this  Colony,  and  that  the  Government  take  such  steps  as 
may  be  necessary  to  procure  the  consent  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government  to  such  annexation  upon  suitable  terms  and 
conditions  to  be  submitted  to  this  House." 

His  former  colleagues  were  not  against  this  proposal, 
but  they  were  now  in  Opposition  and  saw  what  appeared 
a  favourable  chance  of  thwarting  Rhodes.  Between 
Bechuanaland  and  Southern  Rhodesia  lay  a  vast  tract 


136  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

of  territory  commonly  known  as  the  Protectorate,  the 
administration  of  which  had  already  been  assigned  to  the 
Chartered  Company,  though  the  assignment  had  not  yet 
been  carried  into  effect.  Sauer,  therefore,  moved  as  a 
rider,  "And  further,  that  in  the  opinion  of  this  House 
the  Protectorate  should  not  be  altered  or  affected  with- 
out the  previous  consent  of  this  House." 

On  loth  June  a  full-dress  debate  on  the  whole  subject 
ensued.  Rhodes  made  a  powerful  speech,  narrating  the 
history  of  both  Territories.  Touching  on  the  Royal 
Charter,  he  said  his  effort  had  always  been  to  create  a 
system  of  free  Tariffs  from  the  Cape  to  Tanganyika; 
that  the  Chartered  Company  could  not  permanently  ad- 
minister its  extended  possessions,  and  that  some  day  they 
would  be  united  to  the  Cape  Colony  either  by  amalgama- 
tion or  through  Federation.  He  appealed  to  Sauer  to 
withdraw  his  rider  as  not  germane  to  the  precise  question 
before  the  House.  Schreiner,  in  support,  declared  that 
although  the  land  and  mineral  rights  in  the  Protectorate 
had  unquestionably  for  the  most  part  been  already  ceded 
to  the  British  South  Africa  Company,  its  administration 
would  sooner  or  later  accrue  to  the  Cape  Colony.  In 
the  end  the  rider  was  rejected,  and  the  motion  carried 
by  45  to  23. 

Previously,  on  6th  June,  Merriman  had  launched  an- 
other attack  upon  the  Charter  by  moving  for  copies  of 
all  correspondence  between  the  Imperial  and  Colonial 
Governments  and  Rhodes  as  managing  director  of  the 
British  South  Africa  Company,  relating  to  the  proposed 
stipulation  in  the  constitution  of  all  Territories  adminis- 
tered by  the  Company,  prohibiting  the  imposition  of 
Customs  duties  in  excess  of  any  duties  then  in  force  in 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  137 

the  Cape  Colony.  He  whimsically  objected  to  this  provi- 
sion on  the  ground  that  he  was  a  Free  Trader,  though 
it  was  not  easy  to  see  why  a  Free  Trader  should 
object  to  a  clause  which  prohibited  protective  duties. 
The  House  being  transparently  unsympathetic,  his  mo- 
tion was  not  pressed  to  a  division. 

On  1 8th  June  Rhodes  again  took  an  opportunity  of 
referring  to  the  acquisition  of  Damaraland  by  Germany. 
He  admitted  having  been  in  the  Ministry  at  the  time, 
and  that  he  and  Merriman — then  a  colleague — used  to 
say  daily,  "We  must  have  Damaraland,"  like  the  old 
Roman  insistently  crying,  "Delenda  est  Carthago,"  buf 
other  Ministers  were  supine,  and  when  the  telegram  was 
at  last  sent  it  was  too  late. 

The  following  day,  Merriman,  in  a  debate  on  the  Esti- 
mates, admitted  his  dislike  of  the  intrusion  of  Germany 
in  the  sphere  of  South  African  influence,  and  he  again 
urged,  as  a  retaliatory  measure,  the  imposition  of  Cus- 
toms duties  at  Walfisch  Bay,  which  remained  Cape  ter- 
ritory, although  Germany  had  annexed  and  occupied  the 
Hinterland.  But  Rhodes  adhered  to  his  previous  decision, 
and  declined  to  be  led  into  the  thorny  path  of  retaliation. 

On  4th  July  Hofmeyr  celebrated  his  fiftieth  birthday 
by  giving  a  reception  at  his  Cape  Town  house  at  which 
there  was  an  influential  gathering.  Rhodes  proposed  his 
health  and  eulogised  his  patriotism,  stating  that  his  great 
and  successful  task  had  been  to  induce  Dutch  Colonists 
not  to  stand  outside  politics,  but  to  come  in  and  take  their 
legitimate  share  in  the  government  of  the  Colony. 

During  the  whole  session  Rhodes's  three  colleagues 
made  strenuous  efforts,  as  in  duty  bound,  to  overthrow 
his  Government,  especially  on  his  railway  policy.     But 


138  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

consistently  supported  by  Bond  members,  he  held  his  own 
in  a  series  of  divisions  and,  in  the  end,  his  Railway  Bill 
was  carried  by  39  to  26,  and  the  Bechuanaland  Bill 
without  a  division. 

On  3rd  August  the  House  was  prorogued,  having 
passed  forty-three  measures,  mostly  of  a  useful  domestic 
character,  including  one  entirely  exempting  property  in 
the  United  Kingdom  from  Cape  Succession  duties,  and 
also  exempting  similar  property  in  sister  Colonies,  con- 
ditionally on  the  latter  granting  reciprocal  privileges. 
Rhodes  had  again  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the 
results  of  the  session,  for,  in  spite  of  the  parliamentary 
experience  and  ability  of  the  Opposition  leaders,  he  had 
sustained  no  defeat,  and  appeared  to  be  firmly  in  the 
saddle. 

A  word  may  be  said  regarding  events  occurring  this 
year  of  general,  if  not  of  exclusive,  interest  to  South 
Africa. 

On  28th  June  Mr.  Chamberlain  became  Secretary  of 
State  for  the  Colonies,  thus  inaugurating  what  was  prac- 
tically a  new  era,  by  drawing  the  mother  country  and 
her  over-sea  dominions  closer  together,  and  stimulating 
the  long  dormant  idea  of  Imperial  unity, 

Mr.  F.  C.  Selous,  the  great  hunter  and  attractive 
writer,  who  had  performed  yeoman  service  in  Rhodesia 
as  a  pioneer,  and  during  the  Matabele  war,  but  who  had 
left  the  country  without  intending  to  return,  found  him- 
self in  1895  drawn  to  the  theatre  of  his  former  exploits. 
Sailing  on  30th  March,  he  spent  some  time  in  the  old 
Colony  and  elsewhere,  but  subsequently  on  20th  August 
reached  Bulawayo,  and  was  still  in  the  neighbourhood 
when,  early  in  the  coming  year,  the  Mashona  rebellion 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  139 

burst  in  thunder  and  flame  on  the  scattered  white  popula- 
tion of  Rhodesia. 

At  the  time  of  his  arrival,  however,  the  peace  of  the 
Territory  appeared  to  be  In  no  danger.  The  one  lower- 
ing cloud  was  the  dally  increasing  probability  of  a  con- 
flict between  Her  Majesty's  Government  and  militant 
Republicanism  in  South  Africa.  Incident  after  incident 
occurred  to  lower  confidence  in  a  peaceful  solution  of 
existing  disputes,  and  though  Rhodes,  even  to  a  much 
later  date,  believed  or  judged  it  politic  to  affect  to  believe, 
that  there  would  be  no  war,  business  men  thought  other- 
wise and  made  preparations  for  the  worst.  On  14th 
March  the  acting  State  Secretary  at  Pretoria  issued  a 
circular  to  the  effect  that  the  circulation  of  "foreign," 
i.e.  British,  silver  coin  was  prohibited  by  law  No.  14  of 
1 891,  and  that  the  Government  were  determined  strictly 
to  enforce  the  prohibition.  The  inconvenience  caused  by 
the  revival  of  an  obsolete  measure  was  immense. 

Another  sign  of  the  times  was  the  abandonment  by 
the  Orange  Free  State  of  Brand's  judicious  policy  of 
avoiding  entangling  alliances.  In  the  month  of  June  the 
Volksraad  of  the  smaller  State  passed  a  momentous  reso- 
lution aflirming  Its  readiness  to  consider  any  proposal 
from  the  Transvaal  for  a  Federal  Union.  This  decision 
ripened  later  into  a  treaty,  and,  when  war  came,  the  State 
had  no  alternative  but  to  throw  In  Its  lot  with  its  neigh- 
bour, although  it  had  not  a  shadow  of  a  grievance  against 
Great  Britain. 

Early  in  August  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  visited  the 
Transvaal  and.  In  more  than  one  judicious  speech,  be- 
sought the  Republic  to  remain  a  member  of  the  South 
African  family,  and  have  none  but  friendly  differences 


140  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

with  the  other  States;  but  he  had  hardly  returned  to  the 
Cape  before  an  influential  petition  from  the  Uitlanders 
to  the  Volksraad  for  redress  of  grievances  was  rejected 
with  derision,  one  of  the  Raad  members  daring  the  peti- 
tioners to  "come  on  and  fight." 

It  may  be  a  coincidence,  or  it  may  not,  but  within  a 
few  weeks  of  this  incident  Colonel  Frank  Rhodes,  on 
behalf  of  his  brother,  was  at  Ramoutsa  in  the  Protec- 
torate, significantly  close  to  the  Transvaal  border.  There, 
on  23rd  September,  he  obtained  cession  from  two  native 
chiefs — Ikaning,  chief  of  the  Bamaliti,  and  Montsoia, 
chief  of  the  Bora-Isile  Baralong — of  certain  areas  not  in 
themselves  extensive,  but  suitable  for  a  "jumping-off" 
ground.  The  cession  was  duly  confirmed  by  the  High 
Commissioner,  who,  in  a  Proclamation  to  that  effect, 
dated  i8th  October,  admitted  the  withdrawal  of  his 
direct  jurisdiction  and  its  transfer  to  the  British  South 
Africa  Company,  and  expressly  authorised  the  latter  to 
appoint  and  control  a  force  sufl^cient  to  maintain  peace, 
order,  and  good  government  in  the  territory. 

In  October  occurred  what  is  known  as  the  Drifts  ques- 
tion, on  which  I  need  only  touch  with  brevity.  The 
President,  a  zealous  supporter  of  his  Delagoa  Bay  line, 
had  permitted  the  railway  company  to  put  in  force  a 
prohibitive  tariff  between  the  Vaal  River  and  Johannes- 
burg, and  when,  in  rejoinder.  Cape  merchants  resorted 
to  waggon  traffic,  a  Transvaal  proclamation  was  issued 
(ist  October),  closing  the  Drifts  into  the  Republic  on 
the  Cape  side,  while  leaving  them  open  on  the  side  of 
Natal.  This  was  a  clear  infraction  of  Article  13  of  the 
London  Convention,  and  Rhodes  called  upon  Her 
Majesty's   Government   to    enforce  their   treaty   rights. 


THE  GATHERING  STORM  141 

On  22nd  October  he  read  to  me  a  confidential  telegram 
to  the  effect  that  Kruger  would  give  the  Cape  one-third 
of  the  heavy  traffic  as  against  two-fifths  which  the  Colony 
claimed,  which  meant  a  loss  of  £15,000  a  year  to  the 
Cape  Revenue.  He  asked  my  view  as  to  whether  an 
amicable  settlement  was  worth  that  sacrifice.  I  answered 
without  hesitation  in  the  affirmative,  and  he  concurred, 
but  said  he  must  consult  Hofmeyr. 

Whether  this  offer  was  subsequently  withdrawn  or  re- 
jected, I  cannot  say,  but  no  settlement  was  arrived  at; 
and  Mr.  Chamberlain,  having  on  ist  November  arranged 
with  the  Cape  Government  a  secret  agreement  to  send 
an  armed  force  into  the  Transvaal  at  joint  expense,  an 
intimation  was  despatched  to  the  President,  which  con- 
vinced him  that  the  position  was  a  serious  one,  and  he 
at  once  climbed  down  and  re-opened  the  Drifts  on  5th 
November. 

The  incident,  however,  was  not  lost  on  Rhodes,  who 
immediately  began  to  strengthen  the  British  South  Africa 
Police  Force  on  the  Transvaal  border.  Kruger,  on  his 
side,  was  urged  by  his  extreme  supporters  to  strike  at 
once  and  strike  home.  In  reply,  and  with  a  touch  of  that 
homely  humour  for  which  he  was  noted,  he  stated  that 
before  one  could  kill  a  tortoise,  he  must  put  his  head  out. 

As  the  year  drew  to  its  close  the  tension  deepened. 
A  correspondent  in  the  Transvaal  (27th  December) 
wrote  to  me: — "The  situation  is  grave.  There  is  a  stam- 
pede of  women  and  children.  People  are  transferring 
their  money  to  the  Colony.  At  any  moment  an  insurrec- 
tion may  take  place.  The  leaders  say  they  are  prepared, 
but  I  think  they  underestimate  the  Boer  strength.  More- 
over, the  Uitlanders  are  divided  amongst  themselves." 


142  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

It  is,  of  course,  now  known  that  Dr.  Jameson  had 
been  for  some  time  in  possession  of  an  undated  letter 
from  the  Reform  leaders  urging  him  to  come  in  for 
the  protection  of  women  and  children. 

Meanwhile  Rhodes  made  no  sign.  What  he  knew 
and  what  he  only  guessed  cannot  even  now  be  stated 
with  precision.  But  at  ii  o'clock  at  night  on  29th  De- 
cember he  verbally  informed  the  Imperial  Secretary  that 
Jameson  was  moving  in  with  an  armed  force.  The  High' 
Commissioner  commanded  his  instant  recall,  threatening 
to  advocate  abrogation  of  the  Charter.  For  two  days 
South  Africa  trembled  with  excitement  and  fear.  Kruger 
appealed  to  Germany.  Telegrams  flashed  continuously 
over  the  cables,  and  the  old  year  died  amid  a  scene  of 
passion  and  resentment  to  which  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find  a  parallel  since  the  boulevards  of  Paris  resounded 
in  1870  with  the  cry  "a  Berlin."  To  this  position  un- 
yielding obstinacy  on  one  side  and  precipitate  retaliation 
on  the  other  had  brought  South  Africa,  and  changed  in 
a  moment  the  whole  face  of  affairs. 

As  a  matter  of  record  it  may  be  added  that  Jameson's 
column  left  Mafeking  on  Sunday  evening,  28th  Decem- 
ber, was  reinforced  at  Pitsani  the  following  day,  received 
on  Tuesday  an  order  from  the  High  Commissioner  to 
return  immediately,  and,  disregarding  the  warning, 
pushed  on  and  came  into  action  on  31st  December,  thus 
bringing  a  fateful  year  to  a  disastrous  close. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  (1896) 

Kaiser's  cablegram — Mr.  Schreiner — Rhodes  resigns — In  seclusion  at 
Groote  Schuur — Objects  of  Raid — Rhodes  in  Kimberley — Returns 
and  sails  for  England — Leaves  for  Rhodesia — Fate  of  Johannes- 
burg Reform  Committee — Trial  of  Dr.  Jameson — Rhodes  at  Salis- 
bury— Second  Matabele  war — Mashona  rebellion — Rhodes  Speaks 
at  Bulawayo — Peace  negotiations — Incidents  of  the  campaign — 
Rhodes  starts  for  Cape  Town — Groote  Schuur  burnt  down — Re- 
ception at  Port  Elizabeth — Proceeds  to  Kimberley — De  Beers 
Meeting — Arrives  in  Cape  Town — Anecdotes. 

The  literature  of  the  Raid,  official  and  unofficial,  is  on 
a  generous  scale. 

Apologists  on  the  one  part  and  denunciators  on  the 
other  have  outwearled  the  world  with  applause  or  in- 
vective. More  sober  conclusions  will  be  found  by  study- 
ing the  reports  of  the  English  and  Colonial  Select  Com- 
mittees. 

I  do  not  propose  to  stir  these  troubled  waters  afresh. 
A  few  salient  dates  and  facts  must  suffice,  and  the  only 
point  I  desire  to  emphasise  Is  that  the  great  Adventure 
was  not  a  cause  but  an  effect.  The  Raid  was  not  the 
cause  of  the  Boer  War,  but  a  picturesque  and  Irregular 
episode  In  the  long  duel  between  Republican  aspirations 
and  the  settled  convictions  of  those  who  preferred  British 
institutions  under  the  supremacy  of  the  Crown.  The 
Raid,  indeed,  retarded  rather  than  accelerated  the  final 
struggle  in  that  it  tied  for  a  while  the  hands  of  the  para- 
mount power. 


144  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1896,  Jameson,  still  on  march, 
received  a  second  warning  despatch — this  time  from  the 
British  Agent  in  Pretoria;  but  it  was  too  late  to  recede, 
and  he  contented  himself  with  calling  on  the  Johannes- 
burg Reform  Committee  to  send  out  a  column  in  aid. 
But  the  Committee,  as  my  correspondent  had  predicted, 
were  divided  among  themselves,  and  unprepared  for 
heroic  action,  or  even  for  action  of  any  kind.  The 
raiders  were  left  to  their  fate.  Jameson,  after  several 
skirmishes  by  the  way,  made  a  last  stand  at  Doornkop 
on  2nd  January,  was  crushed  by  superior  numbers,  and 
surrendered. 

The  same  night  the  High  Commissioner,  in  a  deplor- 
able state  of  health,  started  for  Pretoria.  He  was  in- 
tercepted at  Salt  River  Station  by  Rhodes,  who  tendered 
his  resignation,  but  was  requested  to  retain  office  for  a 
few  days. 

It  was,  I  think,  on  ist  January  and  again  the  follow- 
ing day,  that  Rhodes  sent  peremptory  telegrams  to  Salis- 
bury to  stop  the  reported  mobilisation  of  the  Rhodesian 
Horse. 

Two  days  later — 3rd  January — the  President  re- 
ceived the  following  consolatory  message  from  the  Ger- 
man Emperor: — 

"I  tender  you  my  sincere  congratulations  that  with- 
out appealing  to  the  help  of  friendly  Powers  you  and 
your  people  have  been  successful  in  opposing  with 
your  own  forces  the  armed  bands  that  have  broken 
into  your  country  to  disturb  the  peace,  in  restoring 
order,  and  in  maintaining  the  independence  of  your 
country  against  attacks  from  without. 

"WiLHELM   I.R." 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  145 

This  impulsive  communication  was  of  essential  ser- 
vice to  South  Africa  as  showing  to  what  lengths  foreign 
intervention  might  be  carried,  unless  we  composed  our 
own  internal  differences.  Those  who  loved  England  burst 
into  a  flame  of  resentment.  The  Times  regarded  the 
step  as  a  distinctly  unfriendly  one.  Even  men  who  loved 
England  little,  but  who  loved  Germany  less,  took  the 
message  ill.  It  drew  from  Hofmeyr  an  indignant  reply. 
"Allow  me,"  he  wrote  to  his  Dutch  organ  0ns  Land, 
"to  say  publicly  what  I  have  repeatedly  stated  to  friends 
privately  ever  since  Kaiser  Wilhelm's  blundering  utter- 
ances on  recent  South  African  occurrences  became  known. 
I  took  his  interference  for  mere  bluster  not  deserving  any 
consideration  .  .  .  Nobody  knows  better  than  His  Im- 
perial Majesty  that  the  first  German  shot  fired  against 
England  would  be  followed  by  a  combined  French  and 
Russian  attack  on  'das  Vaterland,'  and  by  the  acquisi- 
tion by  England  of  all  German  colonies,  Damaraland 
included,  which  would  not  be  an  unmixed  blessing  for  the 
Cape." 

The  power  behind  the  Throne  became  visible  a  little 
later  when,  to  the  accompaniment  of  ribald  laughter,  it 
was  announced  that  Dr.  Leyds,  the  Transvaal  agent,  was 
in  Berlin  at  the  time  "consulting  a  throat  specialist." 

Repulsed  in  this  direction,  the  Kaiser  now  applied  to 
Portugal  for  permission  to  land  marines  at  Delagoa  Bay 
"to  guard  German  Consulates  in  the  Transvaal."  The 
request  was  refused. 

Meanwhile  Rhodes  continued  to  press  for  the  accept- 
ance of  his  resignation,  and  on  8th  January  it  was  known 
that  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  had  agreed  to  form  a  ministry. 
Owing,   however,   to  the   refusal  of   Mr.   Schreiner   to 


146  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

accept  the  position  of  Attorney-General,  delay  occurred, 
and  the  cabinet  were  not  gazetted  until  13th  January. 
The  combination,  as  finally  arranged,  was  not  a  strong 
one,  but  not  even  his  political  enemies  ever  accused  Sir 
Gordon  Sprigg  of  want  of  courage  where  the  acceptance 
of  ministerial  responsibility  was  concerned. 

The  sincere  attachment  of  Schreiner  to  his  late  leader 
breathes,  not  without  pathos,  in  a  letter  from  him  dated 
Kalk  Bay,  13th  January: — "Whatever  you  suffer  and 
whatever  you  seem  to  have  lost  or  be  losing,  don't  let 
them  induce  you  to  do  anything  small.  You  must  go 
on  living  your  life  on  big  lines.  Rest  and  wait,  and  your 
grasp  will  return.  I  am  so  anxious  about  you,  and  my 
anxiety  about  your  health  is  less  keen  than  my  appre- 
hension, foolish  perhaps,  that  you  may  be  persuaded 
not  to  take  and  acknowledge  your  full  responsibility  for 
all  that  has  occurred.  If  you  were  not,  as  I  know,  shaken 
by  the  past  fortnight  I  would  not  say  a  word,  but  you 
will  understand  how  my  heart  yearns  towards  you.  As 
for  me,  I  am  all  right  in  a  way:  I  catch  small  fish  with 
my  little  boy  off  the  rocks  here — and  I  dream  still." 

I  will  not  spoil  the  effect  of  this  letter  by  any  comment 
of  mine. 

Mrs.  Schreiner,  senior,  was  one  of  Rhodes's  most  de- 
voted friends.  To  her,  on  29th  December,  with  a  fore- 
boding of  approaching  trouble,  he  must  have  written 
manfully  yet  tenderly,  for  he  preserved  her  reply,  which 
I  here  insert: — 

"Grahamstown,  igth  January,  1896. 
"Surely   my  guardian   angel   prompted   you   to   write 
to  me  on  29th  December.     The  words  have  been — as 


\ 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  147 

you  said  they  would  be — pleasant  and  helpful  to  me 
in  these  dark  days.  So,  too,  are  words  just  to  hand 
from  my  dear  son  Will.  He  writes,  'I  know  how  you 
value  the  friendship  between  me  and  dear  old  Rhodes. 
For  your  comfort  let  me  assure  you  that  political  sever- 
ance does  not  and  will  not  impair  my  respect  and  affection 
for  him.'    I  thank  God  for  these  words." 

It  was  quite  true  that  Rhodes  for  a  while  was 
"shaken."  For  days  he  remained  at  Groote  Schuur,  in- 
accessible and  alone.  Even  the  New  York  World  failed, 
I  fear,  to  raise  a  smile  from  him  when  it  cabled  to  ask 
whether  he  had  declared  South  Africa  independent  and, 
if  so,  why.  But  he  replied  gravely  repudiating  the  charge. 
The  World  still  "wanted  to  know."  An  enterprising 
modern  journalist,  thirsting  for  "copy,"  is  not  easily 
repulsed.  Back  came  a  demand  to  be  informed  of  the 
exact  position  of  affairs.  To  this  Rhodes  replied  at  some 
length,  quoting  the  numbers  of  the  new  Transvaal  popu- 
lation largely  composed  of  Americans,  their  inability  to 
obtain  civil  rights,  their  disgust  at  the  threatened  inter- 
vention of  Germany.  "All  my  mine  managers  are  Amer- 
icans," he  added.  As  an  appeal  for  sympathy  the  docu- 
ment is  a  clever  one. 

Rhodes  also  despatched  a  message,  or  perhaps  a  series 
of  messages,  to  the  Board  of  the  Chartered  Company, 
acknowledging  to  his  colleagues  what  he  would  not  ac- 
knowledge to  the  public,  that  "Jameson  had  acted  with- 
out instructions."  In  other  respects  and  to  all  other 
people  he  maintained  a  grim  silence. 

One  of  his  secretaries  writes  to  me,  "Although  I  was 
so  intimately  acquainted  with  him  I  never  had  the  slight- 


148  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

est  suspicion  of  what  was  going  on.  No  one  in  the  office 
had  any  Icnowledge  of  the  impending  invasion  of  the 
Transvaal.  I  suppose  he  thought  he  had  no  right  to 
implicate  Government  officials.  After  the  Raid  he  re- 
mained in  his  bedroom  for  days.  I  used  to  take  his 
letters  there.  I  don't  think  he  slept  for  five  nights. 
'Tony'  (his  personal  servant)  said  the  'Baas'  never 
stopped  walking  up  and  down  all  night.  He  looked 
terribly  worried." 

On  the  morning  of  4th  January  Rhodes's  body-servant 
came  to  me  with  a  message  that  "the  master  was  calling" 
for  me.  I  had  hitherto  respected  his  privacy,  but  now 
went  over  and  had  a  long  talk  with  him.  At  first  he 
was  quite  unmanned  and,  without  a  word  spoken,  we 
held  hands  like  two  schoolboys.  I  was  struck  by  his 
shattered  appearance.  After  a  while — never  ceasing  to 
walk  the  room  like  a  caged  lion — he  poured  out  his  soul 
and  swept  away  many  of  the  misconceptions  which  then 
and  subsequently  possessed  the  public  mind.  The  idea, 
he  said,  was  this : 

First.  The  Raid  was  to  be  subsidiary  to  a  rising 
within  the  Republic.  If  and  when  the  latter  occurred, 
the  Chartered  Company  were  to  strike  in  along  with 
other  forces. 

Second.  The  Republic  was  not  to  be  overthrown.  A 
Conference  was  to  be  called,  the  High  Commissioner  to 
be  convener.  The  independence  of  the  Boers  was  to  be 
guaranteed  in  return  for  redress  of  grievances. 

Third.  A  Customs  Union :  equalisation  of  railway 
rates:  a  common  Court  of  Appeal:  leading  on  to  ulti- 
mate Federation. 

Fourth.     Zululand  to  be  annexed  to  Natal  and  Basuto- 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  149 

land  to  the  Free  State,  provided  recognition  of  British 
Supremacy  was  frankly  accepted.  Result — a  Federal 
Union  under  the  Crown,  powerful  enough  to  say  "Hands 
off"  to  Germany. 

This  great  conception,  he  said,  had  been  marred  by 
the  precipitancy  of  the  Raid,  the  unpreparedness  of  the 
Rand  and  the  timidity  of  Hofmeyr  when  the  crisis  came. 

Reverting  to  the  litter  of  telegrams  on  the  floor,  he 
stated  that  he  had  not  replied  to  any  of  them.  I  re- 
minded him  that  he  was  still  Prime  Minister,  that  policy 
required  them  to  be  acknowledged,  and  that  I  was  ready 
to  send  "safe"  replies  to  every  one  of  them.  "Read 
them,"  he  replied,  "and  then  you  will  understand."  I 
waded  through  them  and  saw  his  difficulty.  A  majority 
were  from  Dutch  supporters  asserting  their  personal  re- 
gard and  continued  political  support,  conditionally  on  his 
public  disavowal  of  Jameson.  "You  see  my  point,"  he 
said,  "and  why  there  can  be  no  reply." 

On  7th  January  Rhodes  wrote  to  me  in  pencil  (letter 
undated),  requesting  me  to  come  over  to  him  again.  He 
was  recovering  his  balance,  but  disliked  the  intrusion  of 
visitors,  so  we  left  the  house  by  a  side  door  and  took 
refuge  in  a  shady  recess,  where  he  went  fully  into  his 
plans  and  prospects.  Even  here  we  were  followed  by 
a  man  to  whom  Rhodes  was  about  to  speak  sharply, 
when  I  persuaded  him  to  be  silent.  The  visitor — a 
market-gardener — came  forward  somewhat  timidly  and 
laid  on  the  bench  a  basket  of  flowers.  "It's  all  I've  got," 
he  said,  and  was  gone.     Rhodes  was  much  affected. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  world  did  not  take 
the  silence  of  Rhodes  in  good  part.  Journalists  are  not 
the  only  people  eager  for  the  latest  news.     The  public, 


150  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

uninformed  and  therefore  apt  to  be  censorious,  demanded 
of  the  hermit  of  Groote  Schuur  that  he  should  emerge 
from  his  cell.  But  in  his  more  spacious  days  he  never 
wore  his  heart  upon  his  sleeve,  and  now,  in  dishonour 
and  despair,  he  looked  stonily  upon  a  garrulous  universe, 
vocal  with  anger.  A  thousand  speculative  and  contradic- 
tory explanations  of  his  attitude  were  given.  His  retic- 
ence was  attributed  to  wounded  pride,  to  callous  indiffer- 
ence, and  to  conscious  guilt.  But,  Gallio-like,  he  cared 
for  none  of  these  things.  He  stood  in  the  position  of 
an  accused  man,  and  while  the  case  was  sub-judice  he 
would  not  speak.  In  these  days  of  unrestrained  publicity 
this  was  regarded  as  intolerable,  and  many  of  his  fair- 
weather  friends  discovered  that  their  idol  had  feet  of 
clay.  A  dumb  oracle  was  felt  to  be  insufferable,  and 
Rhodes  was  insistently  called  upon  to  draw  aside  the  veil 
and  reveal  the  springs  of  action  underlying  recent  events. 

It  is  clear  now  that  he  deliberately  chose  the  line  of 
policy  most  difficult  in  itself,  but  least  compromising  to 
his  associates.  The  Right  Hon.  James  Bryce,  writing 
to  him,  helpfully,  from  London  on  loth  January,  advised 
him  not  to  attach  too  much  importance  to  attacks  which 
political  and  personal  adversaries  could  not  be  expected 
to  lose  the  opportunity  of  making. 

He  himself  was  under  no  illusion.  He  recognised 
that  the  Raid  was  a  reversion  to  the  medizeval  right  of 
private  war,  and  as  such,  indefensible;  and  that  an  attack 
on  the  Transvaal,  apparently  under  his  general  authority, 
even  if  not  on  his  specific  order,  was  an  event  carrying 
with  it  swift  and  terrible  retribution.  Smitten  with  blind- 
ness, like  a  modern  Samson  he  had  essayed  to  pull  down 
the  pillars  of  an  oppressive  commonwealth,  and,  having 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  151 

failed,  he  must  abide  the  result,  or,  in  his  own  words, 
"face  the  music."  He  had  not  ordered  the  assault,  but 
cognisant  of  the  preparations,  he  must  have  known  all 
along  that  his  hand  was  liable  to  be  forced.  His  precau- 
tions were  not  in  themselves  unwise,  because  trouble  was 
inevitable,  but  in  being  clandestine  they  became  impolitic. 
Had  he  acted  throughout  on  higher  authority  he  would 
have  stood  on  firmer  ground.  Had  he  pressed  for  pre- 
liminary preparations,  threatening  resignation  in  case  of 
refusal,  he  might  have  obtained  sanction  for  steps  which, 
without  such  sanction,  were  patently  irregular.  Without 
publicity,  an  admirably  equipped  and  mobile  force  had 
been  concentrated  within  striking  distance  of  the  disturbed 
area.  Had  refusal  to  grant  reform  led  to  actual  revolt, 
had  Johannesburg  been  in  danger  of  vindictive  punish- 
ment. Her  Majesty's  Government  would  have  possessed 
an  advance  guard  on  the  Border  capable  of  rendering 
excellent  service  pending  the  arrival  of  regular  troops. 
As  an  auxiliary  corps  the  force  at  Pitsani  had  immense 
value :  as  an  instrument  for  overthrowing  the  Republic 
of  itself,  it  was  a  negligible  quantity. 

On  loth  January  Rhodes  left  for  Kimberley,  where 
he  arrived  two  days  later,  receiving  an  enthusiastic  re- 
ception at  the  railway  station  from  the  entire  population. 
In  response  to  calls  for  a  speech,  he  told  the  crowd  that 
he  thanked  them  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart  for  so 
kindly  a  welcome.  "In  times  of  adversity,"  he  said, 
"people  come  to  know  who  are  their  real  friends,  and  I 
am  proud  to  see  that  at  this  crisis  I  can  count  on  so  many 
trustworthy  friends  on  the  Diamond  Fields.  There  is 
an  idea  abroad  that  my  public  career  has  come  to  an  end. 
On  the  contrary,  I  think  it  is  just  beginning,  and  I  have 


152  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

a  firm  belief  that  I  shall  live  to  do  useful  work  for  this 
country." 

After  attending  to  necessary  business  he  left  at  once 
for  Cape  Town,  he  and  his  friend  Beit  sailing  for  Eng- 
land in  the  Moor  on  15th  January,  and  landing  on  4th 
February.  His  stay  was  a  very  brief  one,  but  during 
that  period  the  Chartered  Board,  at  whose  urgent  re- 
quest he  had  come  over,  met  de  die  in  diem,  and  on  6th 
February  he  visited  Mr.  Chamberlain  at  the  Colonial 
Office  and  remained  two  hours.  The  Times  declared 
his  return  to  England  would  be  generally  recognised  as 
the  right  course  to  pursue,  and  in  its  issue  of  loth  Feb- 
ruary it  added: — 

"It  is  difficult  to  conceive  that  for  the  next  four  or 
five  years  Mr.  Rhodes  could  be  more  profitably  occu- 
pied than  in  the  assiduous  and  legitimate  development 
of  this  province  (Rhodesia).  By  the  realisation  of  his 
views  concerning  it  he  will  strengthen  every  tie  which 
binds  together  Great  Britain  and  South  Africa.  He  will 
assist  in  a  manner  to  which  his  genius  is  peculiarly 
adapted  in  the  development  of  British  influence  in  South 
Africa. 

"He  will  at  the  same  time  cause  South  African 
influence  every  day  to  acquire  more  importance  In  Great 
Britain.  Gradually,  by  the  safe  channels  of  successful 
industry  and  commercial  intercourse,  he  may  look  for- 
ward to  cementing  a  union  of  which  his  own  view  has 
always  been  that  it  should  be  based  on  an  elevated  con- 
ception of  mutual  interests,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  this 
object  by  the  means  to  which  he  proposes  to  devote  him- 
self his  energy  may  be  safely  put  forward  to  its  full 
extent. 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  153 

"The  most  sensitive  of  foreign  neighbours  cannot  deny 
out  right  to  develop  the  great  British  sphere  won  for 
the  nation  chiefly  by  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Rhodes ;  the 
least  reasonable  can  hardly  fail  upon  reflection  to  per- 
ceive that,  subject  to  the  judgment  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  and  to  such  restrictions  in  respect  of  mili- 
tary and  police  authority  as  it  may  be  thought  proper 
to  impose,  the  first  duty  which  Mr.  Rhodes  now  owes 
to  his  countrymen  is  to  redeem  the  late  disaster  in  South 
Africa  by  devoting  his  best  efi^orts  to  the  realisation  of  a 
peaceful  and  substantial  British  success." 

Meanwhile,  a  Dutch  supporter,  writing  to  him  on  25th 
January,  says,  "On  arriving  at  Groote  Schuur  I  was 
amazed  to  find  you  gone.  Feeling  Is  calming  down, 
and  Kruger's  demand  to  be  free  of  the  Suzerainty  has 
caused  a  revulsion.  Only  to-day,  at  the  Paarl  Show, 
leading  men  declared  that  it  could  not  be  tolerated." 

During  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  enemies  of 
Rhodes,  both  in  and  outside  of  Parliament,  did  not  fail 
to  seek  to  Improve  the  occasion  by  demanding  the  revoca- 
tion of  the  Charter,  but  the  Directors  of  the  Company, 
conscious  of  their  innocence,  were  undisturbed  by  the 
clamour,  and  at  their  meeting  on  5th  February  they 
passed  a  Resolution  to  proceed  at  once  with  an  extension 
of  the  Beira  Railway  from  Chimoio  to  Umtali. 

The  British  press  had  hardly  grasped  the  fact  of 
Rhodes's  arrival  before  he  was  gone  again.  As  the  Pall 
Mall  Gazette  said,  "He  has  faced  the  music  of  his  di- 
rectors and  of  Mr.  Chamberlain  to  whom  he  is  re- 
sponsible, and  having  done  that,  there  was  no  need  for 
more.     He  has  done  the  business  that  brought  him  here, 


154  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

and  has  gone  back  to  go  on  with  his  work  in  Charter- 
land." 

Another  London  paper  affords  the  details.  "Mr. 
Rhodes,"  it  says,  "left  London  early  on  the  loth  inst. 
for  the  Continent,  embarking  at  Naples  on  the  13th  idem 
by  the  German  boat  Kanzler,  which  is  due  to  arrive  at 
Beira  on  March  i6th.  He  is  en  route  to  Rhodesia,  but 
will  return  in  time  for  the  trial  of  Dr.  Jameson  should 
his  presence  be  required." 

As  a  matter  of  record  Rhodes  arrived  at  Beira  on 
20th  March,  and  after  a  long  interview  with  the  Portu- 
guese Governor  there,  he  proceeded  to  Umtali,  where 
for  the  present  I  must  leave  him. 

The  High  Commissioner  remained  in  Pretoria  until  by 
diplomatic  action,  marked  by  consummate  ability,  he  se- 
cured the  release  of  Dr.  Jameson  and  his  officers  who 
were  surrendered  to  Her  Majesty's  Government  for  trial 
in  England,  escorted  to  the  Natal  border,  taken  thence 
to  Durban,  and  sent  home  by  the  East  Coast  route  in  the 
troopship  Victoria. 

It  is  to  the  honour  of  the  President  that  he  dealt  thus 
leniently  with  the  Raiders,  especially  as,  in  doing  so,  he 
ran  counter  to  his  own  Boer  stalwarts,  who  clamoured 
for  the  death  penalty.  But,  with  all  his  limitations, 
Kruger  was  a  strong  man.  With  the  four  leaders  of  the 
Reform  movement,  and  also  with  the  Committee  as  a 
whole,  he  dealt  with  far  greater  severity.  Colonel  Frank 
Rhodes,  Mr.  Hays  Hammond,  Mr.  Lionel  Phillips  and 
Mr. — now  Sir  George — Farrar  were  all  sentenced  to 
death,  but  eventually,  owing  to  a  well-organised  agitation 
on  the  part  of  practically  all  South  Africa,  escaped  with 
a  fine  of  £25,000  each,  while  subordinate  members  of 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  155 

the  ill-starred  committee  had  to  pay  £2000  apiece.  Out 
of  his  own  pocket,  as  the  first  fruits  of  the  Raid,  Rhodes 
paid  £62,000  towards  these  penalties. 

On  1 6th  January  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  was  back  in 
Cape  Town,  having  performed  a  conspicuous  public  ser- 
vice in  masterly  fashion.  His  return,  he  cabled  to  the 
Secretary  of  State,  was  due  to  his  presence  being  urgently 
needed  on  account  of  a  change  of  Ministry. 

On  31st  January  Lord  Loch  wrote  to  me,  "The  short- 
comings of  the  Government  of  the  Republic  made  the 
Raid  a  possibility,  but  do  not  justify  it.  .  .  .  In  one  way 
what  has  happened  has  done  good,  for  the  Continental 
Powers  now  know  that  we  would  go  to  war  if  they  inter- 
fered in  South  African  questions.  We  have  never  stated 
this  more  distinctly,  and  it  is  now  fully  understood." 

Jameson's  preliminary  examination  before  Sir  John 
Bridge  commenced  on  the  loth  March  and  lingered  on 
until  1 8th  June,  when  he  was  committed  for  trial.  The 
trial  took  place  on  the  20th  October,  and  ended  a  week 
later  in  a  sentence  of  fifteen  months'  imprisonment. 
Owing  to  continued  ill-health,  Jameson  was  released  in 
December,  went  abroad  and  vanished  from  South  African 
history  until  1898,  but  by  no  means  for  ever.  Like  that 
of  Rhodes,  his  career  was  only  beginning. 

In  March  the  general  manager  of  De  Beers  Mines  at 
Kimberley  and  a  subordinate  agent  of  the  company  at 
Cape  Town  were  tried  in  the  Cape  courts  for  causing 
arms  and  ammunition  to  be  moved  without  a  licence, 
and  were  fined  for  the  offence. 

In  view  of  the  approaching  opening  of  the  Cape  Parlia- 
ment on  30th  April,  fresh  attempts  were  now  made  to 
induce  Rhodes  to  return  to  politics.     Among  the  appeals 


156  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

thus  made  to  him,  one  Influential  telegram  ran  as  fol- 
lows: "We  unanimously  think  it  is  of  utmost  importance, 
and  necessary  to  your  interests  as  well  as  the  whole  of 
South  Africa,  that  you  should  be  present  at  the  opening 
of  Parliament  or  as  soon  as  possible  after.  If  you  be 
present  you  can  rely  on  support  of  all  your  friends,  as 
well  as  a  large  number  of  waverers,  and  those  at  present 
unfavourably  disposed  to  you.  Sprigg  and  Upington  both 
urge  this,  and  say  you  must  not  allow  Mashonaland  trou- 
bles to  interfere,  and  if  you  do  not  come  even  friends 
will  feel  it  is  of  no  use  fighting  any  more,  and  your  oppo- 
nents will  say  you  fear  meeting  Parliament.  A  large 
number  of  Dutch  say  if  you  return  you  can  rely  on  their 
support  notwithstanding  all  that  has  been  done,  and  you 
will  be  sure  to  have  a  majority.  J.  H.  Hofmeyr  fears  if 
your  return  many  of  his  party  will  leave  him  and  follow 
you.  D.  C.  de  Waal  and  your  friends  cannot  too  strongly 
urge  you  to  come.  Only  your  opponents  hope  you  may 
not." 

The  date  of  this  message  is  8th  April.  But  by  this 
time  Rhodes  had  a  sterner  struggle  on  his  hands.  Even 
in  February,  before  his  arrival  at  Salisbury,  there  were 
mutterings  of  a  coming  storm.  One  of  the  most  experi- 
enced native  commissioners  reported  that  the  proceedings 
of  the  U'mlimo — the  Makalaka  witch-doctor — presaged 
revolt.  Early  in  March  Rinderpest  swept  through  Rho- 
desia and  disturbed  the  minds  of  the  natives,  who  at  the 
same  time  heard  very  exaggerated  accounts  that  the  Raid 
had  wiped  out  the  white  man. 

Rhodes  was  at  Salisbury  and  exerting  all  his  powers 
to  help  his  territory  along  the  path  of  peaceful  progress, 
when  on  Sunday,  22nd  March,  he  heard  of  the  murder 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  157 

of  a  native  policeman  and  of  other  outrages  by  the  Mata- 
bele  in  the  Filabusi  and  Insiza  districts.  Shortly  after- 
wards Selous  and  his  wife,  living  quietly  at  Essex  Vale, 
were  driven  to  take  refuge  in  Bulawayo  and  their  cher- 
ished homestead  went  up  in  flames.  Parties  of  the  Mata- 
bele  now  occupied  the  rocky  fortresses  so  numerous 
among  the  Matopo  Hills.  It  was  clear  that  a  crisis  was 
impending,  and  Rhodes,  with  all  his  customary  energy 
restored  to  him,  took  immediate  measures  to  protect  his 
settlers. 

Excellent  accounts  of  the  war  were  subsequently 
written  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Baden-Powell  and  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Herbert  Plumer.  Here  it  can  only  be 
lightly  touched  upon. 

Within  ten  days  of  the  receipt  of  the  news  of  the  re- 
volt, Rhodes  was  on  the  march  from  Salisbury.  Tele- 
graphing on  31st  March  to  the  Hon.  Maurice  Gifford 
at  Bulawayo,  he  says,  "I'm  off  to  Gwelo  with  150  men — 
100  mounted.  I  have  news  that  140  of  Jameson's  police 
will  arrive  2nd  April  from  England  and  will  rejoin." 
The  reply  he  received  was  a  curt  one,  "Much  more  se- 
rious than  you  think.  To  go  into  Matopos  with  less  than 
500  is  madness." 

On  nth  May  a  force  under  Colonel  Napier  left  Bula- 
wayo to  meet  him,  and  the  columns  joined  forces  on  20th 
May.  With  Rhodes  were  Colonel  Beal — hitherto  be- 
sieged in  Gwelo — Sir  Charles  Metcalfe  and  other  well- 
known  Rhodesians.  With  Napier  were  Arthur  Rhodes, 
Spreckley,  Molyneux,  Wrey,  Burnham  the  Scout,  and 
Father  Barthelemy,  a  devoted  Catholic  priest  for  whom 
Rhodes  had  a  high  regard.  It  is  noticeable  that  a  Dutch 
contingent  under  Van  Rensburg  and  Van  Niekerk  were 


158  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

with  the  Bulawayo  column  and  performed  splendid  ser- 
vice. 

An  eye-witness  says,  "I  thought  Rhodes  looked  well, 
but  his  hair  is  turning  grey  and  the  strong  face  tells  a 
tale  of  excessive  mental  strain.  There  was  severe  fight- 
ing all  along  the  route."  The  combined  column  reached 
Bulawayo  on  the  31st  May,  and  shortly  afterwards  Sir 
Frederick  Carrington  arrived  with  some  Regular  troops 
and  assumed  the  command. 

The  position  was  aggravated  in  June  by  the  Mashonas 
unexpectedly  joining  their  hereditary  foes,  the  Mata- 
bele :  fighting  was  furious  over  a  wide  area,  and  Rhodes 
was  often  under  fire.  Negotiations  for  peace  began  in 
July,  but  it  was  not  until  late  in  October  that  the  troops 
were  disbanded  after  nearly  eight  months'  active  service, 
and  even  then  it  was  the  diplomacy  of  Rhodes  that 
brought  the  war  to  a  close. 

I  shall  now  let  him  speak  for  himself.  At  Bulawayo, 
shortly  after  his  arrival,  he  was  called  upon  to  speak  at 
a  public  meeting.  After  expressing  his  heartfelt  sym- 
pathy with  the  settlers  and  his  confidence  in  Carrington, 
he  outlined  his  policy  for  the  future,  and  added,  "It  is  a 
wonder  to  me  how  we  have  got  through  our  difficulties 
as  we  have.  Nearly  everything  has  had  to  be  carried 
six  hundred  miles.  Providence  sent  Rinderpest  among 
our  cattle,  and  horse-sickness  continually  kills  our  horses. 
But  do  you  know  they  do  without  horses  in  Egypt?  They 
have,  however,  excellent  donkeys,  and  when  recently 
there,  I  arranged  for  a  monthly  shipment  of  them  to 
Beira.  .  .  .  Now,  gentlemen,  I  observe  that  all  the  neigh- 
bouring States  are  discussing  and  settling  your  future 
for  you:  they  have  forgotten  that  you  must  have  a  voice 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  159 

in  it.  If  I  am  allowed  to  remain  and  work  with  you,  I 
look  for  the  Charter  to  ultimately  lapse  and  for  you  to 
become  a  self-governing  body.  I  see  clearly  that  you 
will  become  another  State  in  South  Africa.  You  have 
only  to  look  at  the  map.  ...  I  wish  to  clear  away  the  idea 
that  because  one's  situation  changes,  one's  policy  changes. 
My  policy  will  never  change.  I  should  be  a  very  small 
man  if  I  altered,  through  recent  troubles,  the  ideas  of  a 
lifetime.  I  hope  you  will  prepare  your  minds  for  some 
mode  of  self-government  as  the  means  of  making  you 
one  of  the  States  of  South  Africa,  that  the  end  of  our 
efforts  shall  be  South  African  Federation." 

This  is  the  old  Rhodes — not  casting  backward  glances, 
not  crying  over  spilt  milk,  but  looking  forward  in  high 
hope  and  with  steadfast  faith.  Later  on  in  the  cam- 
paign, when  the  war  was  practically  over  and  he  was 
about  to  leave  Bulawayo,  he  spoke  again  and  said,  "You 
have  done  me  the  honour  of  calling  this  country  by  my 
name.  My  return  for  that  will  be  to  make  the  country 
as  great  as  I  can.  We  must  develop  the  State,  not  on 
lines  of  antagonism  to  the  rest  of  South  Africa,  but  in 
perfect  harmony  with  our  neighbours." 

On  a  third  occasion,  he  is  reported  as  saying,  "I  have 
been  a  happier  man  since  I  have  been  among  you.  The 
great  secret  of  life  is  work." 

Now  that  hostilities  had  ceased,  it  became  the  duty 
of  Rhodes  to  proceed  to  England  and  appear  before  the 
Select  Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons.  The  ques- 
tion for  the  moment  was  by  what  route  to  travel.  Against 
the  Cape  Town  route  was  the  fact  that  many  of  his  old 
associates  in  and  out  of  Parliament  were  now  hostile, 
and  he  expected  that  his  reception  would  be  a  mixed  one, 


i6o  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

and  might  embarrass  the  Cape  Government.  Against 
the  Eastern  route,  its  adoption  might  have  been  taken  to 
mean  that  he  dared  not  face  his  foes.  He  decided  for 
the  bolder  course. 

Before,  however,  I  describe  his  journey  South,  I  must 
quote  a  few  extracts  from  personal  reminiscences  on  the 
part  of  some  of  his  comrades  during  the  Matabele  War. 
This  is  what  one  of  them  says,  "On  his  arrival  at  Bula- 
^^<^^>wayo  he  telegraphed  to  me  to  leave  the  Cape  Civil  Ser- 
vice and  join  him  as  private  secretary.  I  went  up  in 
August  and  found  him  very  busy  with  his  peace  negotia- 
tions in  the  Matopos,  where  I  arrived  shortly  after  the 
now  historical  indaba,  the  first  of  a  series.  No  settlement 
was  arrived  at,  and  the  natives  returned  to  the  hills. 
During  the  interviews  he  seemed  to  be  entirely  without 
fear.  Colonel  Plumer  was  there  with  800  men,  but 
Rhodes  insisted  on  pitching  his  camp  about  two  miles 
from  the  troops,  between  them  and  the  enemy.  I  thought 
it  a  very  risky  thing.  He  sometimes  had  General  Car- 
rington,  Earl  Grey  and  Sir  Richard  Martin  (the  new 
British  Resident)  in  his  camp,  and  if  the  natives  had 
attacked  any  dark  night,  they  could  have  assegaied  the 
leading  men  of  the  country.  His  idea  was  to  terminate 
the  war  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  as  the  expendi- 
ture of  the  Chartered  Company  was  very  heavy.  The 
Matopos  are  seventy  miles  long  and  thirty  broad.  The 
Matabele  seldom  made  a  stand,  but  the  troops  could  do 
no  more  than  drive  them  out  of  the  caves  and  kopjes  at 
heavy  sacrifice.  The  next  day  the  enemy  were  back 
again.  Mr.  Rhodes  grasped  the  situation.  He  was  con- 
vinced that  the  only  thing  to  be  done  was  to  get  the 
chiefs  to  come  out  of  the  hills  to  see  him  and  come  to 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  i6i 

terms.  It  took  him  six  weeks  before  the  first  chief  would 
come  from  his  stronghold.  Old  Babyan  was  the  first 
to  come.  He  was  very  nervous  the  first  night,  but  Mr. 
Rhodes  gave  him  food  and  blankets  and  made  him  feel 
at  home.  In  a  few  days  Babyan  looked  well-pleased  with 
himself.  He  seemed  greatly  to  appreciate  the  attentions 
paid  to  him.  He  ate,  drank,  and  slept  well,  and  fre- 
quently remarked  that  this  new  life  suited  him  admirably, 
and  that  it  was  a  great  contrast  to  the  one  he  had  led 
in  the  hills.  There,  he  stated,  when  he  felt  cold  in  the 
early  morning  and  longed  to  pull  his  blanket  round  him, 
he  had  to  get  up  and  spy  from  his  hiding-place  to  find 
out  whether  the  British  indunas  were  not  marching  on 
him.  Here  in  the  camp  it  was  different.  He  could  sleep 
till  the  sun  was  high  and  till  his  food  was  brought  to  him. 

"And  so  it  came  about  that  Babyan  at  last  consented 
to  send  for  his  indunas  to  come  out  of  their  fastnesses 
to  see  the  white  man.  They  came,  and  by  degrees  other 
chiefs  were  persuaded  to  come  also.  After  many  weeks, 
they  had  all  been  to  the  camp.  A  big  indaba  was  then 
arranged,  at  which  all  were  present.  Several  head  of 
cattle  and  sheep  were  killed  for  the  occasion.  Two  or 
three  meetings  were  held,  and  eventually  peace  was  con- 
cluded. 

"We  spent  in  all  about  two  months  in  the  Matopos, 
and  during  that  time  I  marvelled  at  Mr.  Rhodes's  pa- 
tience. The  native  mind  moves  slowly,  and  even  when 
the  chiefs  had  grasped  a  simple  fact  they  always  returned 
to  their  people  in  the  hills,  where  they  would  sit  round 
their  fires  and  repeat  and  repeat  what  they  had  heard 
at  the  white  man's  camp  till  everybody  understood  the 
position.     The  chiefs  would  then  take  their  own  time 


1 62  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


about  returning  to  camp.  They  had  no  conception  of  the 
value  of  time,  and  three  or  four  days,  or  even  a  week, 
made  no  difference  to  them.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr. 
Rhodes  would  anxiously  await  their  return  to  know  how 
the  men  of  each  particular  chief  took  his  messages.  This 
was  the  principal  reason  why  the  negotiations  were  so 
protracted.  From  the  time  that  Babyan  first  came  to 
the  camp  Mr.  Rhodes  spent  hours  and  hours  every  day 
talking  to  him,  and  afterwards  to  the  other  chiefs  as 
they  came,  preparatory  to  the  big  indabas  when  all  would 
be  present.  It  was  a  very  hot  time  of  the  year — just 
before  the  rains  commenced — but  Mr,  Rhodes  never 
heeded  the  heat.  He  used  to  sit  day  after  day  in  the 
blazing  sun  talking  to  the  chiefs  and  cracking  jokes  with 
them  until  we  were  all  tired  to  death  of  them.  But  his 
patience  and  perseverance  gained  the  day.  He  inspired 
the  chiefs  with  confidence,  and  eventually  he  was  able  to 
conclude  the  much-desired  peace. 

"Mr.  Rhodes's  physical  strength  and  powers  of  en- 
durance were  phenomenal  at  this  time.  Sometimes  his 
morning  ride  would  extend  from  5  A.  M.  to  12  noon, 
but  he  usually  returned  between  10  and  11  o'clock,  after 
having  been  five  or  six  hours  in  the  saddle.  Sometimes 
I  felt  almost  too  tired  to  dismount,  but  Mr.  Rhodes 
never  seemed  to  feel  the  strain  of  a  long  ride  in  the 
least.  He  used  to  hurry  through  his  breakfast,  and  then 
started  talking  to  the  chiefs  right  through  the  heat  of 
the  day  till  four  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  horses  would 
be  saddled  again  and  he  would  ride  until  dusk.  After 
dinner  the  chiefs  would  turn  up  again,  and  he  would 
chat  with  them  till  late  at  night.  Sometimes  after  an 
unusually  long  ride  on  a  hot  morning  he  would  quietly 


1 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  163 

rise  from  his  chair  at  the  breakfast  table,  throw  himself 
down  under  the  nearest  tree  on  the  bare  ground,  and  fall 
asleep  at  once.  He  would  sleep  for  about  half  an  hour 
and  then  commence  his  chatting  with  the  chiefs. 

"I  often  think  his  work  in  the  Matopos  at  this  time 
was  the  greatest  he  ever  achieved.  I  do  not  think  any 
other  man  could  have  done  what  he  did.  The  natives 
loved  to  chat  with  him,  and  although  he  was  then  bereft 
of  all  authority  (having  resigned  as  Director  of  the  Char- 
tered Company)  he  was  looked  upon  by  them  as  the 
head  of  the  white  men.  It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  watch 
him  whilst  these  informal  indabas  were  going  on.  He 
would  chaff  and  tease  the  chiefs,  and  sometimes  one  al- 
most fancied  he  was  one  of  them  by  the  way  he  adapted 
himself  to  their  customs.  His  face  would  beam  all  over 
when  he  thought  he  had  the  best  of  an  argument  and 
had  them  in  a  corner. 

"We  left  the  Matopos  in  October,  1896,  stayed  a 
little  while  at  Bulawayo  and  then  trekked  to  Salisbury 
by  mule  waggons.  Mr.  Rhodes  was  very  fond  of  shoot- 
ing and  we  had  grand  sport.  Travelling  about  twenty- 
five  miles  a  day,  we  generally  started  at  daybreak,  halted 
at  about  10  or  10:30,  had  breakfast  at  11  and  rested  till 
2  P.  M.,  when  the  waggons  would  be  Inspanned  again 
and  the  horses  saddled  for  the  evening  trek.  We  did 
away  entirely  with  the  midday  meal  by  having  a  late 
breakfast  and  an  early  dinner.  We  arrived  at  Salisbury 
at  the  end  of  November.  There  we  found  the  people 
full  of  grievances.  They  asked  for  redress  and  assist- 
ance on  every  conceivable  pretext.  Mr.  Rhodes  felt  sorry 
for  them,  as  they  had  just  gone  through  a  very  trying 
siege,  and  most  of  them  had  practically  lost  everything 


i64  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

they  possessed.  We  stayed  at  the  Government  Residency 
and  for  three  weeks,  from  early  morning  till  late  in  the 
afternoon,  there  was  literally  a  string  of  applicants  wind- 
ing their  way  to  the  Residency  and  back.  They  all 
wanted  something,  and  I  do  not  think  there  was  a  single 
applicant  for  assistance  who  did  not  get  something.  My 
time  was  fully  occupied  in  writing  out  cheques,  and  in  a 
short  time  Mr.  Rhodes  had  given  away  in  charity  a 
sum  considerably  exceeding  £10,000.  When  remonstrated 
with  by  his  friends,  he  always  replied  sympathetically, 
'These  people  have  had  a  trying  time,  and  I  must  en- 
courage them  so  that  they  should  not  leave  the  country.'  " 

Another  comrade  of  Rhodes  sends  me  the  following, 
"Save  for  a  few  minutes  In  Cape  Town  In  1895  I  did  not 
see  him  again  after  this  visit  till  the  middle  of  1896. 
He  had  paid  a  short  visit  to  England  before  the  Jameson 
Raid,  and  on  his  way  back  via  the  East  Coast  he  de- 
cided to  Interview  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  some  stud  Angora  goats  from  him,  so  as  to 
endeavour  to  effect  an  Improvement  in  the  South  African 
herds,  which  owing  to  inbreeding  and  neglect  had  de- 
teriorated very  greatly.  His  friends  laughed  at  him,  and 
said  he  could  not  possibly  succeed;  they  even  said,  'You 
will  not  as  much  as  be  granted  an  interview.'  'Well,'  he 
replied,  'I  shall  try,  and  If  I  fail  it  will  be  some  satisfac- 
tion to  know  I  have  made  the  attempt.' 

"The  services  of  Sir  Philip  Currie,  as  he  then  was, 
the  British  Ambassador  at  Constantinople,  were  enlisted 
on  his  behalf,  and  to  his  delight  an  Interview  was  ar- 
ranged for  the  following  morning.  About  10  A.  M.  next 
day  he  turned  up  at  the  Palace  in  his  ordinary  garb — a 
suit  of  flannel — and  was  met  there  by  the  Ambassador, 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  165 

whose  face  fell  very  much  on  seeing  his  costume.  'Good 
gracious,'  he  said,  'you  can't  go  and  see  the  Sultan  like 
that;  you  must  go  and  get  your  frock  coat.'  'That  is 
impossible,'  replied  Mr.  Rhodes,  'for  I  don't  possess 
one.'  In  the  end  a  compromise  was  effected  by  his  taking 
off  his  flannel  jacket  and  squeezing  into  the  Ambassador's 
overcoat,  which  was  much  too  small  for  him.  He  met 
the  Sultan,  who  was  much  taken  with  him,  and  agreed 
to  let  him  have  a  considerable  number  of  his  Angoras, 
the  benefit  of  which  South  Africa  is  reaping  to-day. 

"During  the  war  he  was  present  at  several  engage- 
ments— at  Thaba  Zamamba,  Kantora,  and  various  other 
fights  in  the  Matopos.  When  the  rebels  had  been  finally 
driven  to  the  hills  he  said  that  In  fighting  there,  though 
we  might  be  victorious,  the  system  which  they  had 
adopted  made  our  losses  heavier  as  a  rule  than  theirs, 
so  he  suggested  to  Major-General  Carrington  that  he 
should  consent  to  his  asking  the  leading  chiefs  to  confer 
with  him.  At  first  Carrington  opposed  the  idea,  but 
eventually  agreed,  and  about  the  7th  August,  1896,  Mr. 
Rhodes  left  Bulawayo  for  this  purpose.  His  party  trav- 
elled to  Umlugulu  and  camped  about  a  mile  from  Colonel 
Plumer's  fighting  column.  At  once  Mr.  Rhodes  set  to 
work.  Three  or  four  well-known  natives  who  had  re- 
mained loyal  undertook  to  carry  a  message  to  the  chiefs, 
and  early  one  morning  they  were  sent  off.  Part  of  the 
way  they  were  accompanied  by  Mr.  J,  C.  Richardson, 
who  was  attached  as  Interpreter  to  Plumer's  column,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  it  was  largely  owing  to  his  support 
that  they  carried  their  undertaking  through.  That  they 
were  doubtful  as  to  their  reception  is  certain,  but  his 
presence   with   them   till   they  had   reached   a    deserted 


1 66  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

kraal,  where  a  very  old  woman  had  been  left  to  tell  them 
that  the  chiefs  would  receive  the  message  provided  no 
white  man  accompanied  them,  prevented  them  from  turn- 
ing back.  The  rebels  were,  of  course,  aware  of  the  start 
of  the  native  delegates  as  soon  as  they  set  out  from  our 
camp,  owing  to  the  well-known  system  of  signalling  which 
they  possess. 

"Mr.  Richardson  returned  late  on  the  night  of  the  day 
the  four  boys  were  sent  off,  and  he  told  us  about  the 
old  woman  and  of  certain  bits  of  white  cloth  which  had 
been  tied  to  trees,  so  we  all  felt  very  hopeful  as  to  the 
result,  but  we  realised  that  two  to  four  days  must  elapse 
before  our  messengers  could  return,  and  Mr.  Rhodes  at 
once  said  we  must  not  pass  the  time  idly,  and  suggested 
we  should  form  shooting  parties,  and  so  show  the  rebel- 
lious natives  that  we  stood  in  no  awe  of  them. 

"On  the  fourth  day  our  messengers  arrived,  and  said 
a  few  of  the  older  chiefs  would  see  Mr.  Rhodes,  but  that 
there  were  not  to  be  more  than  four  all  told  from  our 
party,  so  it  came  to  a  question  of  deciding  who  should 
go,  and  in  the  end  Dr.  Sauer  was  chosen,  and  a  news- 
paper correspondent  from  Plumer's  column — Mr.  V. 
Stent.  Early  next  morning  they  were  off,  Mr.  Grimmer 
and  I  going  a  few  miles  with  them  and  then  waiting  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  spot  arranged  for  what  is  known 
as  the  first  indaba.  After  some  three  hours  the  party 
returned  and  informed  us  that  peace  was  in  sight,  as 
the  chiefs  had  promised  to  call  a  big  meeting  of  all  the 
others  not  present  for  that  day  week,  at  a  point  some 
twenty-five  miles  further  west  in  the  hills.  We  at  once 
set  to  work  packing  up,  and  trekked  off  next  morning 
to  fix  our  camp  at  the  new  place  and  be  all  ready  by  the 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  167 

day  appointed.  Colonel  Plumer  and  his  column  followed 
us  about  a  day  later,  Mr.  Rhodes  insisting  that  no  troops 
should  come  nearer  our  camp  than  two  miles,  as  he  wished 
to  show  the  rebels  he  had  full  confidence  in  their  word 
that  until  they  had  discussed  matters  fully  at  the  second 
indaba  there  would  be  no  further  fighting.  It  had  been 
arranged  that  seven  of  us  might  attend  this  meeting,  but 
that  all  of  us  should  be  unarmed,  and  this  condition  was 
agreed  to  on  the  understanding  that  the  rebels  should  also 
carry  no  weapons. 

"On  the  day  appointed  we  set  off,  being  accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Colenbrander  and  her  sister,  all  of  us  being 
well  mounted  on  horseback.  The  spot  fixed  was  some 
two  miles  from  our  camp  and  about  four  from  the  fight- 
ing column.  About  fifteen  to  twenty  natives  were  visible 
when  we  arrived,  but  suddenly  some  400  to  500,  armed 
to  the  teeth,  came  out  of  the  bush  and  surrounded  us. 
'Keep  on  your  horses,'  shouted  Mr.  Colenbrander,  and 
we  all  did  save  Mr.  Rhodes,  who  dismounted  and  walked 
right  up  to  the  rebels,  despite  Colenbrander's  entreaties, 
and  began  upbraiding  them  in  no  measured  terms  re- 
garding their  broken  promise  as  to  coming  unarmed. 
'How  can  I  trust  you?'  he  questioned.  'You  asked  us 
to  carry  no  guns  and  stated  you  would  not,  and  what  do 
I  find?  Until  you  lay  them  down,  every  one  of  you,  I 
will  not  discuss  a  single  point  with  you.' 

"This  led  to  much  muttering  among  the  'amajacas' 
(fighters),  and  they  all  looked  very  sulky.  Calling  up 
three  or  four  of  the  older  chiefs,  Mr.  Rhodes  said,  'Why 
do  you  permit  this?  These  young  men  are  out  of  hand; 
you  cannot  control  them,  and  yet  you  call  yourselves 
their  indunas.'    'Alas,'  they  replied,  'they  are  out  of  hand. 


1 68  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

but  the  young  men  of  to-day  are  no  longer  to  be  con- 
trolled as  they  were  when  Lo  Bengula  was  alive;  they 
are  too  much  for  us.'  'Do  not  allow  your  authority  to 
be  set  aside  in  such  a  fashion,'  said  Mr.  Rhodes,  'I  will 
stand  by  you.  Order  these  amajacas  to  put  down  their 
guns  at  once,  else  we  shall  go  back  and  the  war  will  begin 
again.'  Somewhat  heartened,  the  chiefs  went  in  among 
the  impi  while  Rhodes  walked  up  to  a  stone  in  the  midst 
of  them  and  sat  down  on  it.  The  rest  of  us  remained  on 
our  horses,  thunderstruck  at  his  actions  and  conversation, 
which  was  carried  on  in  Matabele  without  the  aid  of 
an  interpreter.  In  ten  minutes  or  so,  loud  shouts  of 
Inkosi  (Master,  Chief)  went  up,  and  all  the  arms  were 
laid  down.  Dismounting,  we  others  gathered  around 
him,  and  he  then  asked  Colenbrander  to  tell  them  that 
as  the  indaba  was  an  important  one,  and  as  he  spoke 
their  language  far  from  well,  he  would  speak  to  them 
through  him. 

"Beginning,  he  said:  'I  have  come  to  ask  you  what 
you  are  fighting  for,  and  if  you  have  any  real  grievances 
I  will  try  to  put  matters  right  for  you;  but  before  I 
listen  to  what  you  have  to  say  I  must  say  to  you  that, 
while  I  do  not  blame  you  for  fighting  if  your  complaints 
have  not  been  listened  to,  I  tell  you  most  emphatically 
that  I  look  on  all  of  you  as  wolves,  if  you  have  killed 
women  and  children.  Many  such  have  been  killed — or 
murdered,  rather.  Now,  if  any  of  you  here  have  had 
a  hand  in  such  work,  leave  this  conference,  for  I  wish 
to  talk  to  men,  not  murderers.' 

"  'Inkosi,'  they  shouted,  'it  is  well  said,  but  there  are 
no  such  dogs  here,  so  let  us  talk.'  A  fine-looking  chief, 
named  Umlevu,  to  whom  we  all  took  a  fancy,  was  loud- 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  169 

est  in  his  protestations.  'Be  quite  sure,'  said  Mr.  Rhodes, 
'for  the  Great  Queen  will  never  rest  until  all  murderers 
have  been  tried  and  hanged.'  'It  is  only  what  such  curs 
deserve,'  was  the  reply. 

"For  the  next  three  hours  the  chiefs  poured  out  all 
their  troubles,  some  of  which  Mr.  Rhodes  saw  were 
genuine  and  promised  to  rectify.  Others,  he  pointed  out 
to  them,  were  the  result  of  their  own  folly.  In  the  end 
a  perfect  understanding  was  arrived  at,  but  before  get- 
ting up  Mr.  Rhodes  said  to  the  chiefs,  'Are  you  all  here, 
all  the  chiefs  of  the  Matabele?'  They  looked  much  upset 
at  this  question,  then  one  of  them  came  forward  and 
said,  'No,  Helae  and  Mapisa  would  not  agree  to  come 
and  meet  you;  they  still  want  to  fight.'  'Where  do  they 
live?'  said  Mr.  Rhodes,  and  on  being  told  it  was  some 
eighteen  miles  further  in  the  hills,  he  said,  'Well,  tell 
them  I  shall  go  to  the  door  of  their  kraals  and  stay  there 
till  they  come  out.'  Helae  and  Mapisa,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned, controlled  a  very  large  number  of  Matabele,  and 
had  much  influence. 

"'And  now,'  he  said,  'is  it  peace?'  'Yebo,  Inkosi 
(Yes,  Master)  it  is  peace.  We  look  at  you  now  with 
white  eyes.  Hail,  Lamula'mkunzi  (separator  of  the 
Fighting  Bulls),  Lamula'mkunzi,  Lamula'mkunzi,' 
shouted  the  impi,  and  the  hills  re-echoed  the  name  given 
him  by  the  natives,  who  were  now  overjoyed  at  the  end 
of  the  war,  but  who  a  few  minutes  before  were  full  of 
bitterness. 

"The  old  chiefs  approached  him  again.  'We  shall 
call  you  always  Lamula'mkunzi,'  they  said.  (And  they 
did  till  he  died,  and  he  Is  still  spoken  of  by  that  name.) 
'But  now  that  we  have  no  longer  Lo  Bengula,  you  are 


170  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

our  father,  our  friend  and  protector,  and  to  you  we 
shall  look  In  the  years  that  are  coming.'  'It  is  well,' 
he  replied,  'you  are  my  children,  and  I  will  see  to  your 
welfare  In  future.' 

"Turning  to  the  ImpI,  the  old  men  called,  'Lamula- 
'mkunzi,  our  father,  says  he  will  protect  us  and  give  us 
his  counsel  always.  He  is  our  father  and  our  chief.' 
The  ImpI,  with  wild  shouts  of  Baba  (father),  InkosI, 
Lamula'mkunzl,  sprang  forward  and  rushed  among  us, 
shouting  and  laughing  and  dancing  and  begging,  all  of 
them,  for  salt  and  tobacco,  their  arms  and  grievances 
forgotten  together.  We  gave  them  what  tobacco  we 
had,  and  asked  some  twenty  of  them  to  come  to  our 
camp  for  salt,  etc..  Including  Umlevu,  already  referred 
to,  and  Babyan,  one  of  Lo  Bengula's  chief  councillors, 
who  had  visited  the  Queen  In  1889,  and  who  was  held  In 
great  repute  by  the  Matabele. 

"The  return  to  our  camp  was  in  the  nature  of  a  tri- 
umphal march.  Though  we  only  asked  some  twenty  of 
the  ImpI  to  come  with  us,  at  least  fifty  came,  all  of  them 
singing  and  shouting  the  most  lavish  praise  of  us  and 
eulogising  Mr.  Rhodes  In  unmeasured  terms.  After 
reaching  our  waggons  they  were  liberally  supplied  with 
food  and  given  as  much  salt  and  tobacco  as  we  could 
spare,  and  all  of  them  left  full  of  protestations  of  loyalty. 
Next  morning  we  broke  camp  and  trekked  towards  the 
strongholds  of  the  two  chiefs  who  had  refused  to  come 
to  the  indaba — Helae  and  Maplsa. 

"It  took  us  three  days'  travelling  to  reach  our  ob- 
jective, and  Mr.  Rhodes  was  full  of  hope  that  in  a  week 
the  two  recalcitrant  chiefs  would  hand  in  their  submis- 
sion.    Colonel  Plumer's  column  followed,  but  was  not 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  171 

allowed  nearer  than  four  miles,  this  being  arranged  so 
as  to  give  confidence  to  the  Matabele,  many  of  whom 
were  constantly  coming  to  see  their  'Father.'  To  a  mes- 
sage sent  them,  the  two  chiefs  vouchsafed  no  reply,  so 
Mr.  Rhodes  said,  'Very  well,  we  will  sit  here  till  they 
come  out  and  seek  us.  It  will  not  be  long.'  But  it  was 
not  for  six  weeks  (9th  October,  1896),  and  those  who 
know  the  impatient  nature  of  Mr.  Rhodes  would  have 
marvelled  at  his  persistency.  Nothing  seemed  to  trouble 
him  save  the  one  thing,  the  conquering  of  these  two  men. 
Many  people  urged  him  to  give  the  matter  up  and  leave 
one  of  his  lieutenants  to  deal  with  it,  but  he  would  not. 
He  had,  he  said,  stated  he  would  end  the  rebellion,  and 
till  these  chiefs  had  submitted,  the  embers  were  still  there. 

"One  morning,  in  company  with  Earl  Grey  and  Mr. 
George  Wyndham,  he  went  out  riding,  and  when  they 
came  back  about  one  o'clock,  he  was  full  of  a  discovery 
he  had  made.  'We  found  a  hill  in  the  Matopos,'  he  said, 
'from  which  a  perfectly  wonderful  view  can  be  obtained. 
It  may  be  considered  one  of  the  Views  of  the  World.  We 
must  have  a  road  made  to  it  later  on.'  He  talked  of 
little  else  that  night  at  dinner,  and  got  both  Lord  Grey 
and  Mr.  Wyndham  to  describe  it  to  us. 

"Riding  in  another  direction  one  morning,  he  found 
an  ideal  spot  for  conserving  a  large  quantity  of  water, 
with  some  wonderfully  rich  soil  underneath  it.  'Provi- 
dence,' he  said,  'left  this  gap  in  the  hills  at  this  point  for 
a  purpose,  and  we  must  respond.  Get  a  good  engineer 
and  arrange  for  him  to  prepare  surveys  for  a  dam  and 
furnish  us  with  an  estimate  of  the  cost.'  Matters  were 
put  in  hand,  and  before  he  died  the  dam  was  finished 
at  a  cost  of  thirty  thousand  pounds.     When  full  it  con- 


172  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

tains  987  million  gallons  of  water,  and  is  capable  of  irri- 
gating a  thousand  acres  of  land  which  lies  below  its  outlet. 

"Having  made  up  his  mind  to  build  the  dam,  Mr. 
Rhodes  at  once  set  to  work  and  arranged  all  about  clear- 
ing the  land  which  it  would  dominate  of  stones  and  bush, 
and  everything  was  planned  out  for  the  work  to  be  com- 
menced immediately  after  the  chiefs  gave  in.  Mean- 
while, a  man  was  sent  to  the  Cape  to  buy  machinery, 
implements,  etc.  Though  apparently  taking  a  long  rest, 
Mr.  Rhodes  was  really  working  quite  hard,  for  his  mind 
had  to  be  occupied,  and  he  threw  himself  into  all  such 
matters  in  his  usual  strenuous  way. 

"Babyan,  who  had  come  along  with  us,  was  one  day 
called  up  after  we  had  waited  for  the  two  chiefs  some 
three  weeks,  and  it  was  suggested  to  him  that  he  should 
go  and  interview  them  on  our  behalf.  But  he  was  too 
well  content.  'Why,'  said  he,  'it  is  better  that  I  should 
remain  where  I  am,  for  they  will  hear  that  Babyan  is 
at  the  camp  of  Lamula'mkunzi,  and  they  will  say,  "He 
is  the  cunning  one;  the  war  is  over  and  he  stays  there 
to  get  fat;  we  had  better  go  and  join  him."  If  I  were 
to  go  to  them  now,  I  am  still  thin  from  being  chased  like 
a  baboon  by  your  troops,  they  would  say,  "We  hear  you 
are  at  the  camp  of  Lamula'mkunzi,  but  he  is  not  feeding 
you  surely — you  are  very  thin."  Believe  me,  it  is  better 
for  me  to  remain  here.'  And  so  the  old  schemer  stayed. 
He  amused  us  frequently  during  the  evenings  by  telling 
us  of  his  adventures  in  England  when  he  went  on  his 
mission  to  Queen  Victoria,  and  showed  us  a  fine  gold 
bangle  with  the  inscription  'To  Babyan  from  the  Queen' 
engraved  on  it. 

"The  days  went  on  and  still  no  signs  of  yielding  on 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  173 

the  part  of  the  rebels;  they  would  receive  no  one,  and 
though  they  did  not  seek  to  molest  us  when  we  were  out 
shooting,  they  looked  out  at  us  from  their  kraals  in  a 
very  sulky  fashion.  A  missionary,  the  Rev.  D.  Carnegie, 
came  from  his  station  some  considerable  distance  south 
of  Bulawayo  and  offered  his  services,  and  though  he  made 
a  plucky  journey  into  the  hills  It  brought  us  no  nearer 
to  a  solution.  Still  Mr.  Rhodes  never  wavered,  and 
taught  all  of  us  a  lesson  never  to  be  forgotten.  One  day 
his  private  secretary  arrived  from  Cape  Town  with  a 
huge  basket  of  correspondence,  but  he  declined  to  deal 
with  It  until  he  had  gained  his  point.  Sir  Charles  Met- 
calfe, to  our  surprise,  rode  into  our  camp  one  morning, 
having  ridden  across  country  some  hundred  odd  miles 
all  alone.  Mr.  Rhodes  was  delighted.  'The  natives 
never  gave  you  any  trouble?'  he  asked.  'Not  a  bit,'  re- 
plied Metcalfe,  'they  were  most  friendly.'  'I  knew  It,' 
said  Mr.  Rhodes.  It  was  indeed  wonderful  that  from 
the  hour  peace  was  declared,  never  another  shot  was  fired 
by  the  Matabele — their  word  was  indeed  their  bond. 

"Day  succeeded  day,  but  still  Helae  and  Mapisa  were 
obdurate.  No  trace  of  Impatience  was,  however,  to  be 
noted  In  Mr.  Rhodes.  The  days  were  spent  In  all  sorts 
of  expeditions,  and  the  evenings  In  discussing  the  develop- 
ment of  Africa.  One  remark  of  his  I  remember,  which 
might  well  be  recorded,  'You  cannot  have  real  prosperity 
in  South  Africa,'  he  said,  'until  you  have  first  established 
complete  confidence  between  the  two  races,  and  hence- 
forth I  shall  make  that  part  of  my  work,  but  all  must 
help,  all  must  help.' 

"News  of  the  outside  world  seldom  reached  us,  and 
no  one  seemed  to  miss  it.     Some  six  weeks  had  elapsed 


174  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

since  we  came  to  the  'doors'  of  the  two  rebel  kraals, 
and  all  of  us  save  Mr.  Rhodes  were  much  surprised 
when  one  evening  just  at  dark  a  message  came  from 
the  chiefs,  carried  by  three  of  their  councillors,  to  say 
they  would  come  and  talk  to  Mr.  Rhodes  shortly  after 
sunrise  the  next  day.  'Get  everything  ready  to  move 
to  Bulawayo  by  noon  to-morrow,'  said  Mr.  Rhodes. 
'Why,'  said  some  one,  'how  do  you  know  they  will  sub- 
mit?' 'How  did  I  know,  you  mean,'  was  the  reply; 
'they  have  already  submitted  when  their  messengers  are 
here.' 

"Next  morning  the  two  chiefs  with  their  head-men 
turned  up  about  7  o'clock,  and  in  two  hours  everything 
had  been  settled.  Helae  put  his  points  clearly,  and  Mr. 
Rhodes  dealt  fully  with  them,  and  they  parted  in  the 
most  friendly  manner,  and  sure  enough  we  were  on  the 
way  to  Bulawayo  at  12  o'clock,  and  next  day  Mr.  Rhodes 
was  trekking  to  Salisbury. 

"On  the  way,  the  little  village  of  Enkeldoorn  was 
passed  through,  and  he  found  the  inhabitants  living  In 
laager,  afraid  to  move  outside.  Asking  the  reason,  he 
was  told  that  a  large  body  of  Mashonas,  who  lived  in 
a  kraal  some  ten  or  twelve  miles  off,  came  out  'sniping' 
daily  and  were  strong  enough  to  keep  them  in  laager  till 
they  had  some  assistance.  'Well,'  he  said,  'I'll  assist  you. 
We  must  go  and  clear  them  out.'  He  arranged  the 
whole  thing  and  personally  led  the  party.  (Three- 
fourths  of  the  men  only  went,  the  others  had  to  remain 
in  laager  in  case  of  failure.)  Accompanied  by  Sir  Charles 
Metcalfe  and  Mr.  Grimmer,  he  led  the  party  from  the 
laager  at  3  A.  M.,  surrounded  the  kraal  as  day  broke, 
and  called  upon  the  rebels  to  surrender.    A  volley  from 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  175 

their  rifles  was  their  reply.  Leading  the  men,  he  rushed 
the  kraal,  and  after  twenty  minutes  of  hot  fighting,  put 
the  natives  to  flight,  and  they  troubled  Enkeldoorn  no 
more. 

"When  he  left  the  Matopos  for  Salisbury,  people  said 
he  was  flinging  the  lives  of  himself  and  party  away,  but 
he  replied  that  he  was  as  safe  as  in  Piccadilly  and  that  he 
desired  to  show  that  the  roads  were  quite  safe  and  fit  to 
reopen  for  mail  service. 

"It  took  him  some  sixteen  days'  travelling  to  reach 
Salisbury,  where  he  was  given  a  great  reception.  From 
there  he  went  on  to  Umtali  and  paid  a  visit  to  Inyanga, 
regarding  which  he  had  heard  a  great  deal,  and  was  so 
struck  with  its  possibilities  for  sheep  raising  that  he  pur- 
chased some  120,000  acres  for  the  purpose  of  experi- 
menting with  sheep." 

Among  the  amusing  incidents  of  the  campaign  this  may 
be  quoted.  A  detachment  on  patrol,  with  whom  he  was 
once  travelling,  was  distracted  by  the  rival  claims  of  two 
officers  of  equal  rank.  Rhodes  vainly  tried  to  settle  pre- 
cedence, and  failing,  suggested  that  he  should  command 
as  colonel.  To  this  both  of  them  agreed,  and  the  press 
gave  him  the  title,  much  to  the  disquietude  of  the  High 
Commissioner,  who  was  apparently  nervous  of  resulting 
comment  in  England.  The  Administrator,  Earl  Grey, 
was  under  the  necessity  of  sending  the  following  mes- 
sage : — 

"From  Earl  Grey  to  High  Commissioner. 
"Your  Excellency's  wire  of  May  nth.     Rhodes  ac- 
cepted colonelcy  because  of  friction  between  officers  in 
charge  of  different  columns,  neither  of  whom  would  serve 


176  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

under  the  other,  but  both  agreed  to  serve  under  Rhodes. 
If  Rhodes  had  not  taken  post,  column  would  have  separ- 
ated. Private  and  confidential.  Rhodes  asks  me  to  send 
you  the  following  message.  Begins,  For  the  Secretary  of 
State.  Tell  him  there  is  no  Colonel  more  unhappy  than 
I  am.  Had  to  take  the  position  to  smooth  over  individual 
jealousies  as  to  rank  between  the  various  officers,  the 
result  is  I  have  to  go  out  into  the  field  and  be  fired  at  by 
horrid  Matabeles  with  their  elephant  guns  which  make 
a  fearful  row.  It  is  a  new  and  most  unpleasant  sensa- 
tion. Ends,  The  idea  of  Rhodes  taking  general  com- 
mand of  police  and  military  operations  is  of  course  ab- 
surd, he  fully  realises  that  Martin  has  the  right  to  control 
movements  of  troops  as  Commandant-General. 

(Sd.)  "J.  N. 

"for  Lord  Grey, 

"13/5/96." 

It  is  said — but  I  have  no  evidence  for  the  truth  of 
the  story — that,  later  on,  a  medal  arrived  for  "Colonel" 
Rhodes,  but  accompanied  by  a  War  Office  inquiry  for 
the  date  of  his  Commission,  which  could  not  be  found 
on  the  records. 

Here  are  a  few  more  personal  reminiscences  from  a 
friend : — 

"Everybody  who  knew  Cecil  Rhodes  in  those  days, 
will  also  remember  his  faithful  Cape  Boy  'Tony,'  who 
went  everywhere  with  him,  and  was  the  best  cook  on  the 
veld  I  ever  saw.  The  moment  the  column  halted  and 
almost  before  the  waggon  was  outspanned,  Tony  would 
have  his  fire  lighted,  and  be  hard  at  work  preparing  the 
next  meal  of  the  day. 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  177 

"Rhodes  was  fond  of  telling  the  story  of  how  once 
when  commanded  to  Sandringham  he  asked  Tony  when 
he  called  him  in  the  morning  what  time  breakfast  was. 
Tony  replied,  'Royalty  doesn't  breakfast,  sir,  but  you  can 
have  it  in  the  dining-room  at  half-past  nine.' 

"On  24th  June,  1896,  when  on  Macfarlane's  Patrol, 
news  reached  Rhodes,  through  runners  sent  by  Earl  Grey, 
of  the  rising  of  the  Mashonas,  and  he  determined  to  get 
back  to  Bulawayo  at  once.  We  were  by  no  means  cer- 
tain that  there  was  not  a  large  force  of  Matabele  between 
us  and  that  place,  for  although  Colonel  Plumer's  Patrol 
down  the  Gwaai  had  been  moving  parallel  with  us,  it  was 
a  wide  extent  of  country  to  cover  with  a  small  force. 
We  started  off  for  our  ride  of  sixty  miles  at  3  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon;  Rhodes,  Metcalfe,  Colonel  Nicholson 
(7th  Hussars),  and  myself  with  an  escort  of  twenty  men 
and  of  course  Rhodes's  small  travelling  waggon  with  the 
redoubtable  Tony. 

"Shortly  before  midnight  we  were  approaching  the 
Nyamondhlovo  Kraals,  and  were  very  uncertain  whether 
they  had  been  cleared  by  Plumer.  Hearing  a  number 
of  dogs  barking,  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Kafirs  were  'at  home,'  for  the  Kafir  dog,  as  a  rule,  Is 
rather  aggressive  if  his  master  is  near,  but  slinks  away 
Into  the  bush  If  he  Is  not.  Nicholson  and  two  men  went 
forward  to  reconnoitre,  and  returned  with  the  report 
that  the  kraals  were  occupied,  and  we  had  a  short  con- 
versation as  to  how  we  should  'rush'  the  place,  Rhodes 
laying  great  stress  upon  the  fact  that  a  few  men  should 
be  told  off  to  remain  with  the  waggon  until  we  made  it 
safe  to  proceed,  'for,'  as  he  said,  'at  all  costs  Tony  must 
be  protected!' 


178  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

"There  was  probably  no  man  more  misunderstood  by 
a  certain  section  of  the  British  nation  than  Cecil  Rhodes, 
and  the  following  little  anecdote  should  bring  a  blush  of 
shame  to  the  cheek  of  those  who  used  to  argue  that  his 
one  object  was  self,  his  one  aim  money-making,  and  his 
one  ambition  a  United  States  of  South  Africa  with  him- 
self as  President. 

"We  had  got  into  Bulawayo  for  a  few  days  after  the 
patrol  with  Macfarlane  to  the  North,  and  the  outbreak 
of  the  Mashonas,  which  had  been  unexpected,  was  natu- 
rally an  additional  weight  on  Rhodes's  already  bur- 
dened shoulders.  We  stayed,  as  before,  at  Government 
House,  and  early  one  morning  Lord  Grey  relates  how 
Rhodes  came  Into  his  room  before  sunrise  in  order  to 
congratulate  him  on  his  good  luck  in  having  been  born 
an  Englishman.  He  had  been  thinking  out  his  own  position 
during  the  night  and  could  not  wait  even  until  sunrise 
to  pass  on  to  him  the  reasons  why  he  should  congratulate 
himself  on  having  that  good  fortune.  'Have  you  never 
realised,'  said  Rhodes,  'that  you  might  have  been  a  China- 
man, or  a  Hottentot,  or  that  most  degraded  of  men,  a 
Mashona  ?  But  you  are  not,  you  are  an  Englishman,  and 
have  subsequently  drawn  the  greatest  prize  in  the  lottery 
of  life.  I  always  think  of  that  when  I  am  bothered, 
and  It  carries  me  through  all  my  troubles — I  am  an 
Englishman.  And  by  the  way.  Grey,  how  old  are  you?' 
'Forty-four,'  said  Grey.  'You've  no  incurable  disease,  I 
believe?'  said  Rhodes.  'No,  thank  God,'  said  Grey. 
'Ah!'  said  Rhodes,  'you've  arrived  at  the  age  of  forty- 
four;  you  have  no  disease  which  as  far  as  you  know  is 
certain  to  kill  you,  and  you  are  an  Englishman.  Why! 
you  have  drawn  tzvo  of  the  greatest  prizes  in  the  lottery 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  179 

of  life !'  There  was  no  resisting  the  philosophic  argu- 
ment, and  the  consolation  which  he  had  felt  after  the 
night's  reflection  that,  when  everybody  was  throwing  mud 
at  him,  he  possessed  one  prize  of  which  nobody  could 
rob  him." 

The  prize  of  long  life,  however,  was  not  to  be  his, 
and  he  was  already  aware  of  it. 

"If  there  was  one  thing  in  the  world  Rhodes  disliked 
more  than  another,  it  was  the  feeling  of  being  cramped 
and  confined,  without  'elbow-room,'  so  to  speak.  He  also 
hated  many  of  the  discomforts  of  a  camp  unless  there 
was  lots  of  room.  Naturally,  when  on  the  march  in  a 
bush  country  in  savage  warfare,  it  was  essential  that  the 
waggons  should  always  be  formed  into  a  close  laager, 
the  horses  being  picketed  inside,  and  the  men  detailed 
to  each  waggon  in  case  of  attack.  Rhodes  always  re- 
sented having  his  little  travelling  waggon  included  as  part 
of  the  laager  and,  if  possible,  selected  a  spot  outside, 
between  the  laager  itself  and  the  line  of  outposts. 

"Colonel  Plumer  had  left  Bulawayo  on  29th  June  to 
attack  a  large  force  of  Matabele  reported  to  be  at 
Thabas-a-Momba.  Rhodes  joined  the  column  on  30th 
June,  when  camped  close  to  Thaba  Induna,  and  had  his 
waggon  outspanned  some  hundred  yards  or  so  outside 
the  laager.  On  ist  July,  after  the  early  morning  trek, 
Frank  Rhodes  and  I  went  out  to  loot  some  kraals  for 
grain  for  our  horses,  leaving  Cecil  lying  down  by  his 
waggon  reading  a  book.  When  we  came  back  in  the 
afternoon  we  found  him  much  amused  about  something, 
and  after  a  few  minutes  he  said,  'I  wish  you  fellows  had 
been  here  this  afternoon,  you  would  have  been  much 
amused.     I  was  lying  here  reading  when  a  trooper  came 


i8o  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

across  from  the  laager  and  said,  "Good-day."  "Good- 
day,"  said  I.  "Have  you  got  any  fish?"  said  the  man. 
I  tumbled  to  the  situation  at  once.  "No,"  said  I,  "I'm 
sorry  to  say  I've  got  no  fish."  "Got  no  fish,''^  said  he, 
"have  you  got  any  jamT^  "No,"  said  I,  "I'm  sorry  to 
say  I'm  out  of  jam."  "You've  got  no  fish,  and  got  no 
jam,  what  have  you  got?"  said  the  man.  "You  may  well 
ask  me  that,"  said  I.  "I've  got  precious  little  left,  and 
what  I  have  got,  they  are  all  trying  to  take  away  from 
me  as  fast  as  they  can."  "I'm  sorry  for  that,"  said  the 
man.  "But  (looking  at  some  six  of  eight  books  lying 
on  the  ground),  you've  got  some  books,  I  see,  and  (pick- 
ing one  up  on  Buddhism)  pretty  deep  subjects,  too!" 
"Well!"  said  I,  "I  certainly  do  read  a  bit,  that's  my 
recreation.  You  see,  it's  pretty  hard  work  selling  fish 
and  jam  all  day."  "I  should  think  it  must  be,"  said  the 
man.  "Well,  I'm  sorry  for  you,  for  you're  a  civil-spoken 
kind  of  chap,  and  I'm  still  more  sorry  that  you've  got 
no  fish  or  jam,  but  it  can't  be  helped — good-day." 
"Good-day,"  said  I,  and  he  went  back  to  the  laager.' 

"We  naturally  laughed  heartily  over  the  incident,  and 
wondered  what  the  man's  feelings  would  be  when  he 
saw  Rhodes  riding  with  Plumer  the  next  morning  at  the 
head  of  the  column  and  discovered  that  the  man  he  had 
mistaken  for  a  purveyor  of  tinned  stores  to  the  troops 
was  the  greatest  Englishman  of  modern  days. 

"Three  and  a  half  years  later,  early  one  morning  dur- 
ing the  Boer  War,  in  November,  1899,  ^  was  out  with 
the  Scouts  of  my  squadron  in  the  direction  of  Bryce's 
store,  between  Tuli  and  the  Limpopo  River.  We  were 
waiting  for  daylight,  and  the  men  were  discussing  various 
incidents  amongst  themselves.     The  conversation  turned  • 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  i8i 

upon  the  Siege  of  Kimberley,  and  the  name  of  Cecil 
Rhodes  was  mentioned  when  one  of  the  men  named 
Gooch,  said,  'I  shall  never  forget  in  all  my  life  the  first 
time  I  saw  Cecil  Rhodes.'  'When  was  that?'  said  an- 
other. 'Oh!  you  would  none  of  you  remember,'  said 
Gooch,  'but  you  would,  sir  (turning  to  me),  for  you 
were  there.  It  was  in  the  Matabele  War  when  Colonel 
Plumer  was  marching  to  Thabas-a-Momba,  and  I  didn't 
know  him  by  sight  and  he  had  got  his  waggon  stuck  out- 
side the  laager '     'Wait  a  minute,  Gooch,'  said  I, 

interrupting  him,  'I  believe  you  are  the  very  man  I've  been 
looking  for  for  three  and  a  half  years.  Vll  finish  the 
story,  and  you  shall  correct  me  if  I  am  wrong.'  I  there- 
upon told  the  other  men  the  story  of  the  fish  and  jam, 
Gooch  looking  more  astonished  every  moment  as  I  pro- 
ceeded, and  every  now  and  then  ejaculating,  'That's  Gos- 
pel truth.'  How  the  other  men  laughed  over  it,  and  I 
only  wish  Rhodes  had  been  there  himself  to  renew  his 
acquaintance  with  his  would-be  customer  of  former  days. 

"Rhodes  was  very  fond  of  asking  men  to  come  and 
dine  with  us  at  the  waggon  when  on  the  march  or  in 
camp,  and  there  was  rarely  a  night  that  we  hadn't  one 
guest,  at  all  events,  to  share  our  frugal  meal  which  the 
culinary  art  of  Tony  always  made  appetising. 

"I  well  remember  upon  one  occasion  our  guest  for 
the  evening  being  Father  Barthelemy  of  the  Jesuit  Mis- 
sion in  Bulawayo,  a  man  who  had  endeared  himself  to 
every  one  in  the  column  by  his  self-sacrifice  and  devotion, 
always  ready  to  lend  a  hand,  as  brave  as  a  lion,  and 
about  the  best  parson  I  ever  met. 

"After  dinner  the  conversation  turned  upon  religion, 
and  Rhodes  astonished  our  Jesuit  friend  by  describing 


1 82  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

to  him  In  detail  the  course  of  probation  he  had  been 
obliged  to  undergo  for  seventeen  years  before  he  could 
be  thought  worthy  to  be  raised  to  the  dignity  of  a  'Father.' 
'How  is  it,  Mr.  Rhodes,'  at  last  said  Father  Barthelemy, 
'that  you  know  so  much  about  us  and  our  course  of 
training?'  'Well,'  said  Rhodes,  'I  study  all  these  ques- 
tions, and  I  am  not  at  all  sure  that,  if  I  was  not  what  I 
am,  I  should  not  have  been  a  Jesuit.'  'You  say,'  said 
the  Reverend  Father,  'if  you  were  not  what  you  are. 
What  are  you?'  'Ah!  there,'  said  Rhodes,  'you  have 
asked  me  a  very  difficult  question.  Let  us  think  it  out.' 
And  then  he  began,  as  he  was  so  fond  of  doing,  to  think 
out  the  whole  problem  aloud.  'I  suppose  you  would  call 
me  an  Agnostic — Agnosco,  I  don't  know.  I  believe  in 
a  future  state,  but  what  it  is  I  don't  know  and  what  is 
more,  yoii  don't  know.  I  have  never  found  any  one  who 
could  tell  me  what  it  is,  and  you  have  never  found  any 
one  to  tell  you,  but  I  believe  that  if  one  does  one's  best 
in  this  world  according  to  one's  lights,  and  does  no  harm 
intentionally  to  any  one,  I  shall  get  as  good  a  place  in 
that  future  state  as  you  will  who  make  a  profession  of 
your  religion.'  'That  is  the  highest  form  of  religion,'  said 
the  Father.  'Yes,'  said  Rhodes,  still  following  his  train 
of  thought,  'in  fact  if  I  were  to  go  before  the  Almighty 
to-morrow,  and  He  were  to  tell  me  that  He  thought  I 
had  acted  very  badly  at  times  and  had  wronged  some 
people  wittingly,  say  Kruger,  for  instance,  well — I  should 
be  prepared  to  have  it  out  with  Him.'  'Upon  my  soul, 
Mr.  Rhodes,'  was  the  reply,  'I  believe  you  would,'  and  so 
the  debate  ended. 

"On  the  29th  July  we  were  camped  in  the  Matopo 
Hills,  and  the  news  came  out  to  us  of  the  sentences  of 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  183 

Imprisonment  which  had  been  passed  In  England  upon 
Dr.  Jameson,  Sir  John  WUloughby,  and  the  other  par- 
ticipants In  the  Jameson  Raid.  Rhodes  sat  silently  think- 
ing for  a  time,  and  then  exclaimed,  'A  tribute  to  the  up- 
right rectitude  of  my  countrymen  who  have  jumped  the 
whole  world!'  A  characteristic  summing-up  of  the 
position. 

"For  some  weeks  after  that  memorable  day  In  August, 
1896,  when  Rhodes  met  Somabulana,  Sekombo,  'Nyanda 
and  the  other  native  chiefs  In  the  Matopo  Hills  and 
brought  the  rebellion  to  an  end,  he  camped  close  to  the 
hills  without  any  escort  or  guard.  In  order  that  he  might 
be  easily  accessible  to  any  of  them  who  desired  to  come 
and  confer  with  him  and  restore  confidence  In  British 
rule.  The  fact  of  his  being  unarmed  soon  proved  to  them 
that  they  had  nothing  to  fear,  and  a  day  rarely  passed 
without  an  Informal  'Indaba'  taking  place  between  the 
Great  White  Chief  and  his  dusky  'children,'  who  In  a 
very  short  time  learned  that  all  he  desired  was  that  they 
should  once  more  return  to  their  peaceful  avocations,  and 
let  'bygones  be  bygones.' 

"There  was,  however,  at  this  time  In  Matabeleland  an 
official,  who  shall  be  nameless,  who  considered  that 
Rhodes  should  have  taken  him  Into  his  confidence  with 
regard  to  the  terms  he  was  making  with  the  chief,  and 
desired  that  arrangements  should  be  made  for  a  grand 
'Indaba'  at  which  he  should  be  present.  The  date  was 
fixed,  and  the  time  arranged  for  the  meeting.  The  chiefs, 
who  were  still  somewhat  suspicious  of  every  white  man 
except  Rhodes  himself,  were  lurking  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  hills  before  coming  to  the  rendezvous,  when  this 
great  official  was  seen  riding  over  the  plain  towards 


1 84  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Rhodes's  camp  with  an  escort  of  twenty  men  armed  to 
the  teeth,  and  the  Union  Jack  flying  in  the  breeze. 

"After  exchanging  greetings  with  Rhodes,  the  Union 
Jack  was  planted  in  the  ground,  and  the  great  man  sat 
down  under  its  folds  upon  the  only  chair  available, 
Rhodes  sitting  beside  him  on  a  biscuit  box.  Not  a  native 
arrived.  After  a  time  Rhodes  looked  up  at  the  flag  and 
said  to  his  visitors,  'What's  this?'  'The  Union  Jack,' 
was  the  reply.  'I'm  well  aware  of  that,'  said  Rhodes, 
'but  what  is  it  doing  here  ?'  'It  is  my  symbol  of  authority,' 
was  the  reply.  'Well!  do  you  expect  the  Kafirs  to  come?' 
said  Rhodes.  'I  thought  you  had  arranged  for  them  to 
meet  me  here  to-day,'  was  the  answer.  'So  I  had,'  said 
Rhodes,  'but  I  don't  expect  them  to  come  when  they 
are  all  watching  from  the  hills  and  have  seen  you  arrive 
with  this  flag  and  an  armed  escort.  They  will  come  and 
see  me,  but  of  course  they  will  now  expect  they  are  sum- 
moned in  order  to  be  arrested  and  shot.'  The  official 
looked  rather  foolish,  and  after  waiting  some  time  longer 
Rhodes  impatiently  said,  'I  think  I  had  better  go  into  the 
hills  and  tell  them  this  is  all  nonsense,  and  that  they  are 
perfectly  safe  in  coming.'  After  some  discussion,  he  was 
dissuaded  from  going  himself,  but  a  messenger  was  sent, 
and  in  a  short  time  they  came  dropping  in,  evidently  some- 
what ill  at  ease,  and  sat  down  on  their  haunches  in  a 
semi-circle. 

"Rhodes  had  been  having  some  luncheon  and  threw 
them  scraps  of  food  as  one  would  to  a  dog,  and  turning  to 
the  great  official  said,  'You  will  think  me  a  funny  fellow. 
I  am  a  funny  fellow,  but  you  must  remember  I  am  z 
Privy  Councillor!'  The  official  returned  to  Bulawayo  a 
sadder  and  a  wiser  man." 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  185 

It  was  not  until  December  that  Rhodes  was  able  to 
leave  Rhodesia.  It  was  on  the  17th  of  that  month  that 
he  and  Sir  Charles  Metcalfe,  travelling  together,  over- 
took Colonel  Baden-Powell  on  the  Revewe  River.  "I 
am  sorry,"  he  said  to  Baden-Powell,  "but  I  shall  not  be 
able  to  give  you  accommodation  at  Groote  Schuur,  it  has 
been  burnt  to  the  ground.  Providence  has  not  been  kind 
to  me  this  year:  what  with  Jameson's  Raid,  rebellion, 
famine,  rinderpest,  and  now  my  house  burnt,  I  feel  like 
Job,  all  but  the  boils." 

The  little  party  went  round  to  Durban  in  the  Pongola 
and  arrived  at  Port  Elizabeth  on  23rd  December,  all 
but  Rhodes  transhipping  into  the  Moor  and  reaching 
Cape  Town  on  27th  December.  The  reception  of  Rhodes 
at  Port  Elizabeth  was  enthusiastic.  Deputations  from  all 
parts  of  the  Eastern  Province  were  there  to  meet  him. 
The  genuineness  of  the  welcome  pleased  him  greatly.  A 
luncheon  was  given  to  him  in  the  Feather  Market,  at 
which  500  delegates  and  leading  townsmen  were  present. 
His  absolutely  impromptu  speech  ranged  over  a  wide 
area  and  is  far  too  long  for  insertion  in  extenso  here. 
Quotations  must  suffice. 

"If  I  may  put  to  you  a  thought,"  he  said,  "it  is  that 
the  man  who  Is  continuously  prosperous  does  not  know 
himself,  his  own  mind  or  character.  It  is  a  good  thing 
to  have  a  period  of  adversity.  You  then  find  out  who 
are  your  real  friends.  I  will  admit,  Mr.  Mayor,  that  I 
have  had  a  troubled  year.  From  those  from  whom  I 
expected  most  I  got  least,  but  from  many  quarters — 
some  the  mcxt  remote — I  received  a  kindly  support  I 
never  anticipated.  I  am  confident  enough  to  say  that  I 
do  not  feel  that  my  public  career  has  closed.    I  am  going 


1 86  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

home  to  meet  a  Committee  of  my  own  countrymen.  As 
soon  as  they  release  me  I  am  coming  back.  I  shall  keep 
my  seat  in  the  Cape  House.  You  man  tell  me  my  faults, 
but  until  you  turn  me  out,  I  mean  to  remain  with  you. 
I  am  determined  still  to  strive  for  the  closer  union  of 
South  Africa.  I  only  hope  that  in  my  future  career  you 
will  recognise  that  I  have  never  abandoned  this  pro- 
gramme. 

This  was  the  speech  that  caused  resentment  in  some 
quarters  in  England  by  his  gibe  at  what  he  called  the 
unctuous  rectitude  of  his  countrymen. 

On  the  conclusion  of  this  speech,  Rhodes,  with  char- 
acteristic energy,  left  by  train  for  Kimberley,  where,  on 
28th  December,  he  presided  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
De  Beers  Consolidated  Mines.  It  was  a  long  and  tedious 
land  journey  at  the  hottest  time  of  the  year,  and  it  was 
a  bold  journey,  for  it  took  him  through  Dutch  districts; 
but  at  every  station  English  and  Dutch  "Afrikanders" 
alike  gathered  to  welcome  him.  In  spite  of  his  long  ab- 
sence from  the  mines,  he  made  to  his  shareholders  an  able 
financial  exposition  of  their  affairs,  and  having  done  so 
he  returned  to  the  train  and  travelled  another  six  hun- 
dred miles  to  Cape  Town,  and  took  up  his  residence 
among  the  blackened  ruins  of  Groote  Schuur,  the  de- 
struction of  which  had  been  the  crowning  calamity  to  a 
year  of  unexampled  misfortunes. 

As  he  neared  the  capital  and  traversed  the  beautiful 
valley  in  which  the  Dutch  for  many  generations  have 
made  their  homes — a  valley  inhabited  for  the  most  part 
by  members  of  the  Afrikander  Bond — it  might  well  have 
been  that  he  should  receive  a  hostile  reception  from  those 
who  held — or  were  instructed  by  their  leaders  to  hold — 


THE  RAID  AND  ITS  RESULTS  187 

that  he  had  betrayed  them  and  their  nationality.  But  to 
their  eternal  honour,  they  not  only  forgot  but  forgave. 
No  amount  of  wire-pulling  shook  their  belief  that  Rhodes, 
with  all  his  faults,  was  a  great  man,  and,  at  heart,  one  of 
themselves.  At  every  halting  place  he  was  enthusias- 
tically received,  and  even  at  the  Paarl,  Wellington  and 
elsewhere  Dutch  addresses  of  welcome  were  read  which 
deeply  moved  him,  contrary  to  his  wont.  And  thus  the 
year  closed,  not  inauspiciously,  on  the  returned  wanderer. 

On  his  arrival,  and  when  the  published  report  ap- 
peared of  his  speech  at  Port  Elizabeth,  I  was  afraid  the 
biting  phrase — unctuous  rectitude — would  give  occasion 
to  the  enemy  to  blaspheme,  and  I  suggested  to  him  that 
the  reporters  were  in  error,  and  that  the  expression  he 
used  or  meant  to  use  was  "anxious  rectitude."  But  he 
would  have  none  of  it,  remarking,  "I  said  it  and  I  stick 
to  it."  Indeed,  the  unco'  guid,  so  ready  to  take  a  mote 
out  of  a  brother's  eye  while  oblivious  of  the  beam  in 
their  own,  were  always  an  abomination  to  him.  On 
various  subsequent  occasions  he  returned  to  the  subject. 
Thus,  in  a  letter  dated  26th  July,  1897,  he  wrote  to  me 
from  Bulawayo,  "I  notice  the  Home  Committee  have 
made  me  the  sacrificial  lamb.  I  wonder  whether  the  decay 
of  our  race  will  come  through  unctuous  rectitude !" 

It  has  often  been  said  and  thought  that  Rhodes  was 
a  woman-hater,  and  it  may  be  conceded  that  a  really 
frivolous  woman  was  distasteful  to  him;  but  a  womanly 
woman  and  a  woman  of  culture  and  ability  were  always 
sure  of  respect  and  friendship  at  his  hands.  During  the 
trying  months  of  the  Matabele  war  he  received  many 
heartening  letters  from  women  of  all  ranks,  and,  contrary 
to  his  practice,  he  replied  to  them.     Here  is  a  charming 


1 88  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

answer  to  one  of  them,  which  I  have  been  privileged  to 
publish : — 

'June  25/96,  BuLAWAYO,  King's  Kraal. 
"My  dear  Duchess, — I  am  just  in  from  the  West 
on  the  Gwaai  River;  the  natives  bolted,  so  we  had  not 
much  fighting.  I  find  about  100  letters,  I  turn  them  over 
and  find  this  one  from  you,  and  read  it.  It  is  dated 
March  nth.  I  am  doing  my  best,  and  you  need  not 
fear  that  in  my  adversity  I  shall  cave  in.  I  must  do  my 
duty.  I  wanted  just  to  say  to  you  one  thing,  now  do  not 
be  annoyed.  You  always  make  me  feel  that  you  are  my 
exact  idea  of  an  Englishwoman. — Yours  truly, 

"C.  J.  Rhodes. 

Before  passing  away  from  the  painful  subject  of  the 
Raid,  I  desire  to  make  one  closing  remark.  The  Idea 
prevalent  In  some  quarters  that  the  Inception  of  the  Raid 
Is  still  wrapped  in  mystery  is  wholly  erroneous.  The  vital 
facts  are  all  In  print,  and  there  are  no  unrevealed  secrets. 
The  sooner  this  Is  recognised  the  better  for  the  peace  of 
South  Africa. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
THE  CAPE  PARLIAMENT  (1896) 

Governor's  speech — Merriman  on  the  war-path — Governor's  departure 
— Debate  on  the  Raid — Select  Committee — Debate  on  leave  of 
absence — Schreiner  defends — Report  of  Committee — Schreiner's 
great  speech — Prorogation  of  Parliament. 

On  Thursday,  30th  April,  the  Cape  House  of  Assembly 
met  to  elect  a  new  Speaker  in  the  place  of  Sir  David 
Tennant,  who  had  resigned.  Its  late  leader,  as  I  have 
already  shown,  was  not  there,  having  other  than  political 
battles  to  fight,  nor  did  he  attend  during  the  session. 

On  the  following  day  Parliament  was  opened  with  the 
customary  formalities  by  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  who 
said,  inter  alia,  "I  cannot  refrain  from  referring  to  an 
event  which  has  recently  occurred  which,  although  out- 
side the  limits  of  this  Colony,  was  of  the  first  magnitude 
as  regards  the  interest  it  has  excited  and  its  far-reaching 
consequences  throughout  South  Africa. 

"An  armed  force  from  an  adjoining  Territory  crossed 
the  border  and  entered  the  South  African  Republic  con- 
trary to  the  rules  of  international  law. 

"Such  entry,  deeply  deplored  by  every  right-minded 
Colonist,  has  produced  the  most  lamentable  results. 

"My  advisers  have  entire  confidence  in  Her  Majesty's 
Government  taking  such  steps  as  shall  prevent  the  re- 
currence of  a  calamity  which  has  stirred  so  deeply  the 
sentiments  of  all  people  in  South  Africa  and  so  gravely 


190  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

endangered  the  friendly  relationship  between  the  British 
Colonies  and  the  neighbouring  States. 

"My  Ministers,  while  steadily  recognising  the  ad- 
vantage to  South  Africa  of  maintaining  unimpaired  the 
existing  authority  of  the  Crown,  are  directing  their  best 
efforts  towards  the  promotion  and  maintenance  of  a  cor- 
dial understanding  with  the  neighbouring  States  and  Col- 
onies and  they  trust  the  troubled  state  of  affairs  in  the 
South  African  Republic,  which  necessarily  agitates  the 
people  of  this  Colony,  will,  by  the  exercise  of  a  wise  spirit 
of  moderation  and  conciliation  on  the  part  of  all  con- 
cerned, present  before  long  a  calmer  aspect." 

The  phraseology  of  the  speech  was  cautious  and  cor- 
rect, but  its  temperate  warning  must  not  be  overlooked. 
The  President  still  had  three  years  in  which  to  set  his 
house  in  order,  but  his  spirit,  it  is  to  be  feared,  was  the 
spirit  of  Pharaoh  who  "hardened  his  heart"  against  a 
similar  admonition.  There  seems  reason  to  believe  that 
Mr.  Hofmeyr  and  other  prominent  Cape  Afrikanders  re- 
peatedly gave  the  President  private  advice  to  conciliate 
his  new  subjects,  but  they  refrained  from  public  warning, 
and  their  representations,  therefore,  went  for  nothing. 

Later  in  the  day  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  announced  that 
the  Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies  had  requested 
the  Governor  to  proceed  to  England,  which  he  proposed 
to  do  at  an  early  date. 

It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  a  powerful  opposition 
would  allow  so  magnificent  an  opportunity  of  damaging 
Rhodes  to  escape  them.  Accordingly  at  the  next  sitting 
of  the  House,  on  4th  May,  Merriman  gave  notice  of 
motion,  "That  in  the  opinion  of  this  House,  the  exercise 
of  Sovereign  rights  by  a  trading  and  financial  Company 


THE  CAPE  PARLIAMENT  191 

such  as  the  British  South  Africa  Company  is  not  con- 
sistent with  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  South  Africa: 
that  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  be  requested  by  respectful 
address  to  take  the  matter  into  her  gracious  considera- 
tion, and  by  the  revocation  or  alteration  of  the  Charter 
granted  to  the  said  Company,  to  make  such  provision 
for  the  government  of  the  Territories  comprised  therein 
as  may  to  her  seem  desirable." 

Mr.  Sauer  also  gave  notice  to  move,  "That  in  the 
opinion  of  this  House,  the  absence  of  His  Excellency 
Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  Governor  and  High  Commis- 
sioner, from  South  Africa  at  the  present  time  is  detri- 
mental to  the  best  interests  of  South  Africa." 

On  5th  May  Mr.  Hay,  a  private  member,  gave  notice 
of  an  amendment  to  Merriman's  Motion,  an  amendment 
framed  in  a  more  violent  form  and  demanding  a  search- 
ing inquiry. 

On  7th  May  Sauer  announced  that  on  second  thoughts 
he  desired  to  substitute  for  his  Motion,  one  expressing 
the  deep  sense  of  the  House  of  the  great  services  of  the 
Governor,  deploring  his  approaching  absence,  and  hoping 
for  his  speedy  return.  In  its  altered  shape,  the  Motion, 
after  debate,  was  carried  without  a  division,  Mr. 
Theron,  on  behalf  of  the  Afrikander  Bond,  asserting  that 
the  Governor  possessed  the  entire  confidence  of  that  body. 

On  8th  May  Schreiner,  as  an  amendment  to  Merri- 
man's Motion,  gave  notice  to  move  on  12th  May  to  ex- 
press regret  at  the  Raid,  and  appoint  a  Select  Committee 
of  seven  members  to  inquire  into  its  origin  and  character. 

On  1 2th  May  Innes  moved  a  still  further  amendment, 
expressing  an  earnest  hope  that  such  steps  would  be  taken 
in  the   South  African  Republic  towards  the  favourable 


192  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

consideration  of  any  legitimate  grievances  of  the  popula- 
tion which  had  settled  in  that  State  from  the  Cape  Colony 
and  elsewhere,  as  might  conduce  to  the  peace,  unity  and 
welfare  of  South  Africa. 

The  great  debate  on  the  Raid,  originating  in  these 
various  Motions,  opened  on  12th  May  with  a  powerful 
speech  from  Merriman,  who  admitted  having,  while  sit- 
ting in  the  same  Cabinet  as  Rhodes,  given  the  Charter 
reasonable  assistance  and  support,  but  added  that  recent 
events  had  opened  his  eyes  to  its  danger.  Schreiner  fol- 
lowed on  the  lines  of  his  amendment,  and  declared  that 
he  moved  for  a  Committee  because  a  full  investigation 
was  necessary  before  a  just  and  final  judgment  on  the 
subject  could  be  given,  and  that,  meanwhile,  it  was  not 
the  duty  of  the  House  to  cry,  "Away  with  the  Charter." 

On  the  following  day  Innes  spoke  at  some  length  in 
support  of  his  proposal  to  express  a  desire  on  the  part  of 
the  House  that  Kruger  would  endeavour  to  content  his 
large  Uitlander  population,  and  urged  Dutch  members 
never  to  forget,  in  their  indignation  at  the  Raid,  that 
the  causes  which  led  to  it  still  existed.  Wise  words,  and 
well  befitting  the  speaker  whose  judicial  intellect  now 
adorns  the  Transvaal  Bench. 

The  discussion  afterwards  became  general,  the  great 
bulk  of  members  of  both  races  feeling  it  incumbent  on 
them  not  to  give  a  silent  vote.  Rhodes,  of  course,  was 
severely  criticised,  but  found  some  staunch  defenders,  and 
many  of  the  speeches  against  him  were  delivered  more 
in  sorrow  than  in  anger.  As  a  deliberative  Assembly 
the  Cape  House,  throughout  its  long  and  not  undistin- 
guished career,  has  ever  exhibited  an  impartiality  and 
sobriety  of  judgment  which  would  be  creditable  to  any 


THE  CAPE  PARLIAMENT  193 

Parliament  in  the  world.  Its  character  for  fair  play 
did  not  desert  it  on  this  unprecedented  occasion.  Feeling 
necessarily  ran  high  and  the  wrong  done  to  the  Transvaal 
was  common  cause  on  both  sides  of  the  House,  but  a 
veteran  member  voiced  the  opinion  of  the  majority  when 
he  exclaimed,  "We  are  told  not  to  offend  the  Transvaal, 
but  we  must  consider  our  own  people.  (Cheers.)  The 
Uitlanders  have  grievances — (cheers) — and  they  ought 
to  have  been  redressed  before  now."     (Renewed  cheers.) 

Mr.  Holtzhausen,  a  Dutch  member,  declared  that  he 
did  not  believe  it  would  be  good  for  the  country  if 
"Charterland"  was  taken  over  by  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment. 

Mr,  P.  de  Waal  trusted  the  House  would  treat  the 
Chartered  Company  leniently.  Mr.  Venter  followed,  and 
said  Rhodes  was  his  best  friend,  and  there  was  no  better 
statesman  in  the  country,  and  it  was  necessary  that  Rho- 
desia should  be  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Charter. 

Mr.  D.  C.  de  Waal  thought  that  in  the  years  to  come 
the  Cape  Colony  would  find  out  what  the  Charter  had 
done  for  South  Africa.  He  did  not  regret  having  fol- 
lowed Mr.  Rhodes. 

Mr.  van  der  Walt  wound  up  by  asserting  that  the  spirit 
of  the  speeches  of  many  Dutch  members  was  one  of  latent 
confidence  in  Mr.  Rhodes. 

The  great  debate,  after  frequent  adjournments,  came 
to  a  close  on  28th  May,  when  Merriman's  Motion  was 
put  and  lost  by  sixty  votes  to  eleven.  Mr.  Innes's  various 
amendments  were  then  put  and  rejected,  and  Schreiner's 
proposal  was  finally  carried  without  a  division,  the  feeling 
of  the  House  being  unmistakably  in  favour  of  suspending 
judgment  pending  the  Report  of  a  Select  Committee. 


194  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

The  following  day  the  Speaker  announced  that  the 
Committee,  as  nominated  by  him,  would  consist  of 

Sir  Thomas  Uplngton,  Attorney  General  (Chairman). 

Mr.  Schrelner. 

Mr.  Innes. 

Mr.  Merrlman. 

Mr.  C.  T.  Jones. 

Mr.  T.  E.  Fuller. 

Mr.  Du  Tolt. 

As  the  Chairman,  Schrelner  and  Innes  were  all  trained 
lawyers,  an  investigation  on  almost  judicial  lines  was  thus 
ensured. 

Innes  and  Merrlman,  as  I  have  already  described, 
had  been  colleagues  of  Rhodes,  but  parted  company  on 
the  SIvewright  incident  in  1893:  and  were  now  in  Oppo- 
sition. Schrelner  was  also  a  later  colleague,  whose  allegi- 
ance had  been  rudely  disturbed  by  the  Raid.  Fuller,  of 
a  moderate  and  philosophical  temperament,  was  admit- 
tedly friendly  to  the  late  Premier,  but  Jones  had  always 
been  an  opponent,  and  Du  Toit  was  the  representative 
of  the  Afrikander  Bond. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  composition  of  the  Com- 
mittee foreshadowed  any  whitewashing  of  parties  found 
guilty,  and  Indeed,  as  we  sliall  see  later,  they  dealt  faith- 
fully with  the  issues  involved. 

On  I  St  June  the  Committee  presented  an  interim  Re- 
port— which  was  adopted — asking  the  Governor  to  ascer- 
tain whether  the  Transvaal  desired  to  furnish  any  evi- 
dence on  the  Raid.  Four  days  later  a  second  Report  was 
handed  in,  praying  that  a  special  Act  might  be  passed  to 


THE  CAPE  PARLIAMENT  195 

afford  the  Committee  extended  and  unusual  powers.  The 
Report  was  adopted,  and  the  necessary  Bill  drafted  and 
read  a  first  and  second  time  within  the  space  of  a  few 
minutes.  On  8th  June  it  was  read  a  third  time,  without 
amendment. 

A  few  days  later  one  of  Rhodes's  opponents — not  a 
Dutch  member — endeavoured  to  strike  a  side  blow  at 
him  by  interfering  with  the  legal  rights  of  the  De  Beers 
Mines  in  regard  to  the  maintenance  of  Native  Com- 
pounds, but  the  House,  detecting  animus,  would  have 
none  of  it. 

On  25th  June  the  Premier  announced,  amid  general 
cheering,  that  he  had  offered  the  assistance  of  the  Colony 
to  Rhodesia  to  subdue  the  rebellion,  which  Rhodes  was 
then  engaged  in  suppressing,  and  he  read  a  telegram 
from  Earl  Grey,  the  Administrator,  thanking  him  for  the 
offer  and  stating  that  the  forces  in  the  field  were  adequate 
for  the  purpose,  and  that  the  Company's  difficulty  was 
the  transport  of  food  and  material.  Again  amid  cheer- 
ing, Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  added  that  he  had  sent  a  Minute 
to  the  Governor  for  transmission  to  the  Rhodesian  author- 
ities, offering  to  organise  and  send  up  a  Transport  Corps 
without  delay.  After  considerable  correspondence  over 
the  wires  the  offer  of  the  Colony  was  courteously  declined 
for  the  time,  but,  subsequently,  in  July,  was  accepted  and 
acted  upon. 

A  storm,  long  brewing,  arose,  however,  on  14th  July 
when  Schreiner  moved  that  leave  of  absence  be  granted 
for  the  session  to  the  "senior  member  for  Barkly  West," 
his  colleague  in  the  representation  of  that  constituency. 
It  was  a  delicate  task  and  gracefully  performed.  He 
admitted  that  Rhodes,  through  a  common  friend,  had 


196  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

expressed  a  wish  that  the  Motion  should  be  made  by  him, 
if  not  embarrasing,  and  he  himself  thought  that  he  was 
the  appropriate  channel  through  which  the  application 
should  be  brought  before  the  House. 

"I  move,"  he  added,  "with  the  deepest  regret  for  all 
those  circumstances  which  have  combined  to  take  the 
Honourable  Member  away  from  the  place  he  has  adorned 
in  times  past — (cheers) — but  with  no  wish  to  raise  any 
discussion  or  give  a  clean  bill  of  health  or — as  has  been 
suggested — to  whitewash  the  Right  Honourable  gentle- 
man. .  .  .  He  has  shown  by  his  action  In  the  North 
that  he  is  determined  to  do  his  best  to  carry  out  the  great 
purpose  he  has  set  himself,  and  it  would  ill  become  the 
House  if  it  were  to  waver  in  granting  him  what  I  hope, 
though  I  dare  not  believe,  will  be  an  unanimous  leave  of 
absence,  leaving  on  one  side  the  judgment  which  will  have 
to  be  pronounced  by  the  Select  Committee." 

Several  Dutch  members  objected  to  the  Motion  with 
great  heat.  Even  Merriman  took  the  same  line,  but 
Theron,  in  a  spirited  speech,  deprecated  the  action  of  his 
compatriots,  and  said  that  his  sense  of  fair  play  made  It 
impossible  for  him  to  adopt  their  view.  After  consider- 
able debate,  the  Motion  came  to  a  division  and  was 
carried  by  the  overwhelming  majority  of  fifty-two  to 
twelve,  the  House  thus  again  asserting  its  traditional 
sense  of  justice.  Fourteen  Dutch  members  voted  with 
the  majority  and  the  issue  would,  therefore,  have  been 
decided  by  their  votes  alone. 

On  Friday,  17th  July,  Sir  Thomas  Upington  at  length 
brought  up  the  Report  of  the  Select  Committee,  with  a 
Minority  Report  attached  to  it  signed  by  himself  alone. 
The  Speaker,  to  mark  the  importance  of  the  occasion, 


THE  CAPE  PARLIAMENT  197 

read  the  whole  Report  to  the  House,  a  document  of 
forty-five  clauses.  I  need  not  quote  here  more  than  its 
principal  conclusions.  After  summarising  the  evidence, 
the  Committee  say: — 

"As  regards  Mr.  Rhodes,  your  Committee  can  come 
to  no  other  conclusion  than  that  he  was  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  preparations  that  led  to  the  inroad 
.  .  .  but  there  Is  no  evidence  that  he  ever  contem- 
plated that  the  force  at  Pitsani  should  at  any  time  Invade 
the  Transvaal  uninvited.  It  appears  rather  to  have 
been  Intended  to  support  a  movement  from  within  .  .  . 
but  your  Committee  cannot  find  that  that  fact  relieves 
Mr.  Rhodes  from  responsibility  .  .  .  and  they  are 
reluctantly  forced  to  the  conclusion,  upon  the  evidence 
before  them,  that  the  part  taken  by  him  in  the  organisa- 
tion which  led  to  the  inroad  was  not  consistent  with  his 
duty  as  Prime  Minister  of  the  Colony." 

Sir  Thomas  Upington's  Minority  Report  differed 
from  the  others  mainly  by  the  following  clause,  "That 
Mr.  Rhodes  was  not  only  without  knowledge  of  Dr. 
Jameson's  intention  to  move  the  armed  force  under  his 
control  into  the  South  African  Republic  at  the  time,  but 
when  he  became  aware  of  Dr.  Jameson's  illegal  act,  he 
did  all  that  lay  In  his  power  to  prevent  further  Inroad." 

On  24th  July,  Schrelner,  in  an  exhaustive  and  masterly 
speech,  which  will  still  repay  perusal  as  a  dignified  and 
closely  reasoned  example  of  parliamentary  oratory, 
moved  the  adoption  of  the  Majority  Report.  The 
House  and  the  galleries  were  crowded  and  the  scene 
was  an  impressive  one.  The  mover's  concluding  sen- 
tences were  as  follows : — 

"I  would  just  say  that  nothing  in  the  course  of  the 


198  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Inquiry  has  caused  me  In  any  way  to  waver  in  the 
estimate  I  hold  as  to  the  motives  of  Mr.  Rhodes.  Mis- 
guided though  they  were,  they  were  the  highest  of 
motives.  The  supreme  powers  that  Mr.  Rhodes  has  are 
fit  to  adorn  a  position  of  the  highest  eminence,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  thlnlc  that  these  great  powers  have  not  been 
coupled  in  this  matter  with  more  respect  for  what  is 
right  and  what  Is  wrong.  If  Mr.  Rhodes  had  had  that 
respect,  the  Colony  would  not  be  standing  in  the  position 
it  is  to-day.  Mr.  Rhodes  sought  to  gain  his  ends  by  a 
short  method,  which  was  a  wrong  method,  and  I  believe 
a  day  will  come  when  he  will  say  that  his  methods  in 
this  connection  were  utterly  wrong.  But  I  will  never  be 
led  Into  the  suggestion  that  his  motives  were  at  any  time 
low  or  grovelling  or  sordid;  and  I  believe  that  a  vast  ma- 
jority of  the  people,  not  only  In  this  Colony  but  through- 
out South  Africa,  including  the  Transvaal,  would  say  the 
same.  The  aim  of  Mr.  Rhodes  was  a  high  one.  I  wish 
it  had  been  a  right  one." 

The  effect  of  this  memorable  utterance  was  almost 
unprecedented.  Not  a  single  member  on  either  side  of 
the  House  rose  to  continue  the  debate  and,  without  a 
word  spoken,  the  adoption  of  the  Report  was  carried 
unanimously. 

A  few  days  later — on  29th  July — Parliament  was  pro- 
rogued. There  was  no  anti-climax  to  a  difficult  session. 
The  House  had  condemned  the  conduct  of  the  late 
Prime  Minister,  while  absolving  his  character  from 
reproach.  It  could  not  have  done  less:  the  temptation. 
In  those  wild  and  whirling  times,  was  to  do  much  more. 
No  deliberative  Assembly  could  have  done  better. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF 
COMMONS  AND  AFTER  (1897) 

British  supremacy — Acquisition  of  land — Fruit  farms — Dynamite  fac- 
tory— Reception  at  Groote  Schuur — Banquet  in  Drill  Hall — Rhodes 
and  Labouchere — Sails  for  England — Cables  to  and  from  the  Sir- 
dar— Rhodes  in  London — Kruger  and  Judicial  Bench — Rhodes  be- 
fore the  Committee — Sails  for  South  Africa — Re-enters  the  House 
of  Assembly — Speeches  outside — Permissive  Federation — Lord 
Rosmead  retires — Sir  A.  Milner — Rhodes  a  fatalist — Views  on  re- 
ligion— House  of  Commons  Committee  Report — I  visit  Rhodesia — 
At  the  Matopos — Trek  with  Rhodes — Anecdotes. 

On  reaching  Cape  Town  at  the  end  of  1896,  and  before 
leaving  for  England  to  appear  before  the  Select  Com- 
mittee of  the  House  of  Commons,  Rhodes  took  steps 
to  carry  into  effect  a  policy  he  had  elaborated  while  in 
Rhodesia.  During  the  weary  months  In  which,  en- 
camped under  the  stars,  he  strove  to  Induce  the  Matabele 
chiefs  to  sue  for  peace,  his  thoughts  doubtless  strayed 
far  afield,  and  especially  in  the  direction  of  the  future 
of  the  British  in  South  Africa.  The  efforts  of  successive 
Governors  of  the  Cape  to  strengthen  the  position  of 
Great  Britain  as  the  predominant  partner  In  the  affairs 
of  the  sub-continent  had  failed.  The  attempt  to  achieve 
by  arbitration  the  acquisition  of  the  Eastern  port  of 
Delagoa  Bay  had  failed.  The  belated  effort  of  the  Cape 
Colony  to  annex  the  territory  now  known  as  German 
South- West  Africa  had  failed.     Ever  since  Majuba  and 


200  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  retrocession,  Dutch  aspirations  had  steadily  soared 
upward.  For  a  while  the  alliance  between  Rhodes  and 
the  Bond  had  afforded  England  breathing  time,  but  the 
death  of  President  Brand  had  given  a  racial  bent  to  the 
politics  of  the  Orange  Free  State,  and  the  extraordinary 
extent  of  the  mineral  discoveries  in  the  Transvaal  had 
placed  its  hitherto  impecunious  Burghers  in  possession 
of  wealth  beyond  the  dreams  of  avarice.  Despairing 
to  untie  the  Gordian  knot,  Rhodes  had  planned  to  cut  It: 
unable  to  trace  any  clear  indications  of  a  broad  high- 
road, he  essayed,  or  allowed  to  be  essayed,  a  short  cut. 
The  results  were  disastrous.  A  course  of  patient 
diplomacy  could  now  alone  be  relied  on  to  restore  our 
lost  prestige. 

Meanwhile  Rhodes,  out  of  power  In  South  Africa  and 
out  of  favour  In  England,  never  for  a  moment  lost  his 
grasp  of  the  essential  fact  that  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  the  country  could  only  be  achieved  by  union  under 
the  Crown  and  flag  of  Great  Britain.  His  sleeping  and 
his  waking  thoughts  were  centered  on  this  problem,  and 
he  saw,  as  Indeed  he  had  always  seen,  that  one  of  the 
main  requisites  to  success  was  to  augment  the  English- 
speaking  population  In  South  Africa,  and  especially  on 
the  land.  The  Witwatersrand  mining  Industry  was 
essentially  cosmopolitan,  and  little  reliance  could  be 
placed  on  a  floating  population  anxious  only  to  accumu- 
late wealth  and  be  gone.  The  man  on  the  soil  was  the 
permanent  factor  to  be  reckoned  with,  and  to  plant  out 
more  Englishmen  on  the  soil  now  became  the  leading  idea 
of  the  Imperial  dreamer.  In  this  direction  he  worked 
with  ever-increasing  energy  till  death  terminated  his 
labours  for  ever. 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897        201 

Nor  did  he  work  altogether  in  vain.  In  Rhodesia  he 
alloted  enormous  blocks  of  land  to  Influential  companies 
in  the  expectation — as  yet  only  Imperfectly  realised — 
that  they  would  subdivide  their  vast  holdings  without 
undue  delay  and  thus  create  the  "more  homes"  for  which 
he  sighed.  For  himself,  and  to  give  the  territory  an 
object  lesson  in  stock-farming  and  agriculture,  he  acquired 
100,000  acres  In  Matabeleland  and  a  similar  estate  In 
Mashonaland,  and  added  to  his  Will  a  codicil  dealing 
with  their  permanent  upkeep.  Similarly,  In  the  heart  of 
the  Cape  Colony  he  purchased  a  large  interest  In  proper- 
ties of  about  equal  size. 

He  now  submitted  to  me  a  plan  for  acquiring  a  pre- 
ponderating influence  In  the  sugar  industry  in  Natal, 
and  another  for  creating  a  fruit-growing  Industry  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  Dutch  districts  In  the  Cape  Peninsula. 
The  former  project  was  balked  by  unexpected  obstacles, 
but  he  carried  through  the  latter  regardless  of  expense, 
and  by  placing  the  development  of  the  estates  In  the 
hands  of  Callfornlan  experts,  he  built  up  a  trade  which 
has  had  the  most  important  results,  besides  incidentally 
strengthening  the  British  electorate  exactly  where  it  had 
for  years  been  persistently  weak. 

On  similar  lines  and  under  the  management  of  Ameri- 
cans, for  whose  thoroughness  he  always  expressed  pro- 
found admiration,  he  started  In  the  Western  districts 
as  an  ofl^shoot  of  De  Beers  Mines  a  Dynamite  Factory, 
which  became  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world,  and  which 
conferred  an  Immense  benefit  on  the  whole  mining  in- 
dustry of  the  country  by  breaking  the  monopoly  hitherto 
enjoyed  by  a  foreign  Company  under  the  protection  of 
the  Transvaal  Government. 


202  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

The  year  1896,  though  an  anxious  one  in  many 
respects,  was  thus  a  year  of  great  achievements. 

Any  doubt  that  may  have  existed  as  to  the  reception 
of  Rhodes  by  the  inhabitants  of  Cape  Town  was  speedily 
set  at  rest.  On  a  night  shortly  after  his  arrival  an 
immense  crowd  wended  its  way  five  miles  by  road  to 
Groote  Schuur  and  there,  amid  the  glare  of  innumerable 
torches,  he  came  out  upon  the  balcony  of  his  ruined 
house,  and  in  response  to  an  enthusiastic  reception, 
addressed  a  few  earnest  and  courageous  words  to  his 
audience. 

On  5th  January  he  was  entertained  at  a  memorable 
banquet  in  the  Drill  Hall,  the  Mayor,  Sir  John  Wood- 
head,  presiding.  Mr.  T.  E.  Fuller,  consequent  on  the 
Mayor's  precarious  state  of  health,  was  called  on  to 
propose  the  toast  of  the  evening,  and  stated  that  the 
address  to  Rhodes  had  been  signed  by  three-fourths  of 
the  registered  voters  of  Cape  Town.  After  alluding  to 
the  wonderful  welcome  given  to  their  guest  at  Worcester, 
Wellington  and  Paarl,  he  proceeded  to  censure  the  con- 
duct of  Mr.  Labouchere. 

"It  has  been  said,"  he  remarked,  "that  it  is  bad  form 
when  Mr.  Rhodes  is  going  home  to  present  himself 
before  a  Commission  of  Inquiry,  for  us  to  give  him  a 
word  of  welcome,  but  we  should  remember  that  one  of 
the  members  of  that  Commission  has  been  hounding 
down  Mr.  Rhodes  with  passionate  vindictiveness.  He 
was  to  be  one  of  the  judges  of  the  tribunal.  (Shame.) 
Was  that  fair  play?  (Loud  cries  of  'No.')  We,  as 
friends,  say  to  our  guest,  'You  have  done  great  things 
for  Africa  and  we  want  you  back  again.'  We  see  around 
us  a  new  Cape  Town.      What  has  created  it?      The 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897       203 

opening  of  the  North.  (Cheers.)  Within  two  or  three 
years  time  we  shall  be  awakened  at  De  Aar  by  the  shout, 
'Change  here  for  the  Zambesi.'  And  the  second  thought 
of  Mr.  Rhodes  is  that  of  a  Federated  South  Africa. 
That  Is  the  last  and  greatest  dream  of  his  life.  (Loud 
cheers.)  Mr.  Rhodes  is  going  away,  but  he  must  come 
back.  (Prolonged  cheers.)  I  say  to  him.  Come  back: 
appeal  to  the  manhood  of  the  people  and  in  the  end  no 
name  will  be  Inscribed  higher  than  yours  on  the  roll  of 
those  who  have  brought  prosperity  to  our  country." 
(Loud  and  prolonged  cheers.) 

Rhodes,  whose  rising  was  the  signal  for  a  remarkable 
demonstration  of  enthusiasm,  made  a  long  and  interest- 
ing speech  of  an  hour  and  forty  minutes'  duration,  in 
which  he  traversed  the  whole  ground  of  his  past  political 
career  and  declared  that,  in  spite  of  many  faults  and 
errors,  he  felt  that  he  had  rested  securely  in  the  confidence 
and  affection  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

The  next  day,  after  arranging  to  rebuild  Groote 
Schuur  and  acquire  the  various  properties  to  which  I 
have  alluded,  Rhodes  sailed  for  England  in  the  Dutivegan 
Castle.  From  the  city  to  the  docks  he  was  cheered  by 
immense  crowds,  and  no  less  than  5000  people  assembled 
on  the  pier  to  witness  his  departure.  It  was  a  memorable 
send-off.  The  last  letter  he  received  was  from  a 
prominent  Dutchman  at  Worcester,  who  concluded  with, 
"May  the  year  1897  bring  you  much  happiness  and 
success,  and  may  you  soon  be  our  Premier  and  leader 
again."  And  the  last  letter  he  penned  was  to  me,  author- 
ising a  payment  of  £2500  towards  the  proposed  memorial 
at  Bulawayo  to  those  who  had  fallen  In  the  war,  and 
£11,000  as  a  contribution  to  party  funds  in  the  Cape 


204  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Colony  so  as  to  ensure  a  satisfactory  registration  before 
the  general  election.  "It  is,"  he  wrote,  "the  crisis  of  the 
country.  I  think  we  may  just  win.  I  believe  it  would 
be  better  for  the  hereafter  if  we  lost,  so  that  I  could 
devote  my  whole  time  to  Rhodesia,  but  I  owe  much  to 
the  Cape  and  must  pay  my  debt  to  her." 

On  his  arrival  in  England  he  received  a  cablegram 
from  Lord  Kitchener,  dated  Cairo,  30th  January,  1897. 
"Can  you  spare  three  locomotives  Gordon  asked  you 
for?  Would  assist  me  immensely."  Endorsed  on  the 
message  in  his  own  handwriting  is  his  immediate  reply, 
"Yes,  only  too  pleased  to  help  you.      Rhodes." 

During  February  he  bombarded  me  with  cablegrams 
urging  expedition  in  acquiring  land  for  settlement  pur- 
poses. Current  events  in  South  Africa  convinced  him  of 
the  pressing  need  of  action.  The  disturbed  condition 
of  the  Transvaal  entered,  in  February,  on  a  new  phase, 
the  President  having  followed  up  his  other  successes  by 
a  determined  attack  on  the  independence  of  the  Judicial 
Bench.  So  far  back  as  September,  1895,  a  critical 
question  had  arisen  as  to  whether  a  Volksraad  Resolu- 
tion had  the  force  of  law,  in  other  words,  whether  a 
settled  statute  could  be  overridden  at  any  moment  by  a 
chance  majority  of  the  Raad.  On  22nd  January,  1897, 
while  Rhodes  was  on  the  water,  a  case  came  before  the 
High  Court  at  Pretoria  (Brown  v.  Leyds,  N.O.),  in 
which  the  Government  nakedly  avowed  this  doctrine,  but 
the  Chief  Justice  and  his  colleagues  were  unanimously 
against  their  contention  and  gave  judgment  accordingly. 
It  is  only  fair  to  add  that  in  1884,  and  again  in  1888, 
the  Court  had  seemed  to  favour  a  different  view. 

By  Law  No.  i  of  22nd  February,  1897,  Kruger  now 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897        205 

sought  to  deny  the  right  of  the  Court  to  test  any  Volks- 
raad  Resolution  to  see  if  it  conformed  to  existing  law. 
The  Act  was  passed  through  all  its  stages  in  three  days, 
and  the  Chief  Justice  (Kotze)  was  dismissed  from 
office,  and  although  he  appealed  to  the  Burghers  he 
obtained  no  satisfaction.  Nevertheless,  all  five  judges 
had  the  courage  to  issue  on  ist  March  a  declaration 
that  the  law  was  Invalid.  The  Chief  Justice  of  the  Cape 
Colony  thereupon,  on  12th  March,  visited  the  Trans- 
vaal, and  under  his  advice  the  Bench  finally  agreed  to 
recognise  the  Act  provided  the  Grondwet  or  Constitu- 
tion were  altered  to  meet  the  case.  But  men  felt  that 
a  serious  blow  had  been  dealt  at  the  administration  of 
justice. 

Meanwhile,  Rhodes  was  now  fairly  before  the  Select 
Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons,  one  of  whose 
members,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Fuller,  was  the  Editor  of 
Truth,  a  virulent  and  pronounced  enemy  of  the  man 
practically  on  his  trial. 

The  Committee  met  on  i6th  February,  and  Rhodes, 
being  anxious  to  return  to  South  Africa,  was  the  first 
witness  called,  and  made  a  frank  admission  that  he  had 
sympathised  with  the  Intolerable  grievances  of  the  Ult- 
landers,  assisting  them  with  his  purse  and  advice;  that 
he  placed  the  British  South  Africa  Company's  Police 
within  striking  distance  of  Johannesburg  without  in- 
forming the  High  Commissioner  or  his  co-directors  of 
the  step  he  had  taken;  but  that  the  actual  Raid  took  place 
without  his  authority.  His  action,  he  said,  was  greatly 
Influenced  by  a  belief  that  the  Transvaal  Government 
sought  to  introduce  the  Intervention  of  a  foreign  power 
in  the  already  complicated  affairs  of  South  Africa. 


2o6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Rhodes  was,  of  course,  subjected  to  cross-examination 
of  a  rigid  character,  and  he  placed  a  written  statement 
before  the  Committee,  but  substantially  his  defence  was 
the  simple  one  that  he  had  acted  under  great  provocation 
and  in  the  interests  of  the  Empire.  His  examination 
was  spread  over  eight  days  in  February  and  March. 

In  his  defence  of  Rhodes  (4th  June,  1897),  Mr.  Pope 
quoted  the  view  of  a  not  too  friendly  critic,  Mr.  Justin 
M'Carthy,  who  had  already  written,  "Now,  whatever 
one  may  come  to  think  of  the  policy  and  action  of  Mr. 
Cecil  Rhodes,  it  must  be  owned  that  his  statement  seems 
to  be  full,  clear,  candid  and  consistent.  He  has  indeed 
presented  to  the  Committee  a  State  paper  of  great  his- 
toric importance." 

Subsequently,  Mr.  Pope,  in  a  masterly  review  of  the 
circumstances  leading  up  to  the  Reform  Movement  in  the 
Transvaal,  and,  incidentally,  to  the  Raid,  said,  "I  do 
not  know  whether  that  statement  of  grievances  is 
sufficient  justification  for  revolution,  but  it  reads  to  me 
very  like  a  statement  which  200  years  ago  was  sufficient, 
at  all  events,  to  change  the  dynasty  of  this  country  and 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  our  present  freedom." 

In  conclusion  he  said,  "I  invite  this  Committee  to 
report  upon  Mr.  Rhodes's  connection  with  this  case  as 
being  an  episode  in  a  great  career,  which,  though  it  may 
give  us  cause  for  regret,  ought  not,  and  cannot,  properly 
be  made  any  occasion  of  lasting  or  permanent  reproach." 

Meanwhile  Rhodes,  to  be  not  in  the  way,  yet  not  out 
of  the  way,  went  for  a  short  Continental  tour  with  a 
few  personal  friends,  visiting  Paris,  Madrid,  Rome, 
Milan  and  Florence,  and  returning  to  England  on  30th 
March.     One  of  his  objects  was  to  ascertain  whether 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,   1897        207 

the  olive  could  be  profitably  introduced  into  South  Africa. 

Long  before  the  Committee  reported  to  the  House, 
Rhodes  was  back  again  in  South  Africa.  With  one 
exception,  members  had  treated  him  with  fairness  and 
courtesy.  Sir  William  Harcourt  remarked  genially  to 
him,  "I  should  not  mind  being  in  such  a  scrape  if  I  could 
change  the  years  that  I  carry  for  yours."  Nevertheless, 
Sir  William  outlived  him. 

Rhodes  sailed  from  England  on  the  3rd  April  in  his 
favourite  ship  the  Tantallon  Castle.  He  arrived  in 
Cape  Town  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month,  and  was 
received  by  the  Mayors  of  Cape  Town  and  Port  Eliza- 
beth and  an  immense  gathering  of  citizens,  to  whom, 
in  answer  to  a  cordial  address,  he  said  he  had  returned 
to  strive  for  equal  political  rights  for  every  white  man 
south  of  the  Zambesi.  "But  I  shall  fight,"  he  added, 
"constitutionally." 

He  found  that  the  Afrikander  Bond,  sitting  at  Malmes- 
bury,  had  been  in  hot  discussion  regarding  him.  One 
member,  Mr.  Du  Plessis,  M.L.A.,  had  the  courage  to  say 
that  he  believed  Rhodes  to  be  as  good  an  Afrikander 
as  ever,  and  other  members  admitted  that,  in  spite  of  the 
Raid,  Rhodes  would  head  the  poll  in  any  Dutch  con- 
stituency; but  the  rank  and  file  were  too  deeply  hurt  to 
be  appeased,  and  passed  a  resolution  declining  to  co- 
operate with  him  further,  though  they  also  rejected — 
by  29  votes  to  12 — a  proposal  to  co-operate  with  their 
brethern  in  the  two  Republics.  Their  aim  was  to  secure 
the  re-entry  of  Hofmeyr  into  Parliament  and,  failing  this, 
to  induce  the  Chief  Justice  to  enter  the  arena.  Both 
schemes  failed. 

The  day  after  his  arrival  Rhodes  took  his  seat  in  the 


2o8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

House  of  Assembly  and  received  a  warm  welcome,  only 
one  irreconcilable  Dutchman  uttering  a  sepulchral  groan 
amid  general  laughter.  The  House,  Rhodes  inclusive, 
immediately  adjourned  to  take  leave  of  the  retiring  High 
Commissioner,  who  sailed  that  afternoon  in  the  Norman. 
From  that  date  until  the  3rd  June,  Rhodes  was  a  diligent 
attendant  but  not  a  conspicuous  contributor  to  debate, 
though  he  voted  steadily  with  his  party  and  laboured 
actively  in  its  reorganisation.  He  had  undergone  his 
great  trial  and  emerged  from  the  ordeal,  not  indeed 
scatheless,  but  carrying  with  him  the  openly  expressed 
conviction  of  his  countrymen  at  home  and  abroad  that 
despite  the  terrible  check  to  his  career,  he  was  still  a 
force  to  be  reckoned  with,  and  the  foremost  man  in  the 
Colonial  Empire.  It  was  a  source  of  sincere  gratifica- 
tion  to  him  that  on  2nd  April  the  Colonial  Office  wrote 
to  the  High  Commissioner  that,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  term  Rhodesia  was  in  December,  1895,  accepted  by 
Her  Majesty's  Government  for  postal  purposes,  and 
looking  also  to  its  general  use  in  South  Africa  in  official 
and  non-official  documents,  it  was  now  resolved  hence- 
forth to  use  this  designation  for  all  purposes  to  describe 
collectively  the  territories  under  the  administration  of 
the  British  South  Africa  Company. 

His  reception  on  arrival  was  by  no  means  the  only 
recognition  Rhodes  received.  On  22nd  April,  1500 
trade  representatives,  railway  artisans  and  others 
marched  in  the  evening  with  torches  to  Groote  Schuur, 
ere  reaching  which  their  numbers  were  increased  to  5000. 
He  readily  complied  with  their  demand  for  a  speech. 
"I  have  had  enough" — he  told  them — "of  physical 
agitation.  Henceforth  it  must  be  constitutional  and  based 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897        209 

on  votes.  You  are  partners  with  me  in  the  far  North, 
which  is — if  I  may  venture  to  utter  the  word — under  the 
British  flag.  Take  my  advice.  Join  no  party  whose 
direct  programme  is  to  keep  race  feeling  alive.  Use 
your  time,  your  energy  and  any  influence  at  the  polls 
you  may  possess,  to  see  that  the  hopeless  system  prevail- 
ing elsewhere  in  South  Africa  shall  end.  We  must  as 
a  party  be  for  equal  rights  and  equal  laws  for  every 
white  man.  Let  us  have  free  trade  throughout  the 
country,  and  let  the  best  man  win  irrespective  of  his  race. 
(Loud  cheering) ." 

On  23rd  April  he  spoke  with  equal  force  to  the  Typo- 
graphical Association,  and  public  references  to  his  work 
by  the  Salvation  Army  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  were  enthusiastically  received. 

Intense  feeling  was  aroused  about  this  time  by  Presi- 
dent Kruger  in  a  speech  at  Bloemfontein  describing  the 
Queen  as  "een  kwaaje  vrouw,"  but  it  is  doubtful  whether 
any  offence  was  intended,  the  words  being  capable,  by 
a  fair  interpretation,  of  meaning  "a  determined  woman." 

An  active  campaign  against  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  was 
about  this  time  in  progress,  but  all  British  sections  of  the 
population  drew  together  in  the  face  of  what  now  seemed 
a  common  danger. 

In  June  Rhodes  granted  transfer  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Mowbray  and  contiguous  suburbs  of  a  large  piece  of 
land,  being  an  outlying  portion  of  his  Groote  Schuur 
Estate,  for  the  purposes  of  a  recreation  ground,  and 
recast  his  Will,  vesting  the  remainder  of  his  property 
in  the  Federal  Government,  for  the  early  formation  of 
which  he  was  now  strenuously  resolved  to  work.  Rather 
than  see  any  delay  in  this  direction,  he  was  prepared  to 


2IO  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

advocate  the  passing  of  an  Act  in  the  Cape  Parliament 
in  favour  of  permissive  Federation,  provided  the  general 
election  gave  him  even  a  small  majority,  and  he  arranged 
with  Mr.  Harry  Escombe  to  introduce  a  similar  measure 
in  the  Natal  Legislature. 

In  April,  business  required  my  presence  in  Pretoria, 
and,  before  leaving,  I  said  good-bye  to  the  retiring  High 
Commissioner,  Lord  Rosmead.  His  successor,  Sir 
Alfred  Milner,  arrived  and  assumed  office  on  5th  May. 
Rhodes  had  proceeded  to  Kimberley  on  3rd  June,  and 
gone  on  to  Bulawayo  on  17th  of  the  month.  While  at 
the  former  place  he  took  the  important  step  of  inducing 
the  De  Beers  Mines  to  help  to  develop  the  coal  industry 
in  Natal,  much  to  the  advantage  of  that  prosperous 
little  Colony,  now  a  Province  of  the  Union. 

Again  in  June  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  visit  the 
Transvaal,  and  I  wrote  to  Rhodes  from  there  on  24th 
June.  His  reply,  which  is  an  unusually  long  one,  is 
dated  3rd  July,  and  deals  comprehensively  with  his 
financial  position.  He  had  not  then  asked  me  to  be 
one  of  his  Trustees,  but,  speaking  of  his  Life  Governor- 
ship of  the  De  Beers  Consolidated  Mines,  he  writes, 
"Beit  and  I  have  an  arrangement  which  comes  In  force 
on  the  death  of  either  of  us.  I  mention  this  as  I  pro- 
pose to  cross  the  Zambesi  this  year,  and  It  would  be 
very  ridiculous  to  lose  one's  ideas  by  death.  I  know 
you  sufficiently  to  ask  you  to  read  my  Will.  It  will 
amuse  you.  I  am  almost  superstitious.  I  knew  Barnato 
would  not  outlive  me,  so  I  made  no  arrangements  with 
him.  If  Beit  had  not  made  the  arrangement  with  me, 
he  would  have  also  died  first.  Now  the  thought  has 
come  that  I  might  go  first  and  my  Ideas  be  lost.      Beit 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897        211 

will  honourably  carry  out  our  agreement,  but  I  thought 
it  better  to  mention  it  to  you,  and  on  my  return  I  will 
have  it  settled  by  a  legal  document." 

On  14th  July  he  laid  the  foundation  stone  of  the 
Wesleyan  Church  in  Bulawayo.  The  silver  trowel 
handed  to  him  for  the  purpose  being  of  flimsy  construc- 
tion, he  threw  it  down  amid  general  laughter,  and  used 
the  contractor's  trowel.  Speaking  on  this  occasion  he 
said,  "There  was  nothing  one  noticed  in  life  more  than 
the  similarity  of  religions.  Whether  one  inquired  into 
the  religion  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  and  took  up  the 
Book  of  the  Dead,  the  precepts  of  which  were  almost 
similar  to  those  of  Zoroaster  or  Confucius;  or  went  back 
to  the  religion  of  the  Romans,  and  read  the  Meditations 
of  Marcus  Aurelius;  or  considered  the  religion  of  the 
Greeks,  and  read  the  works  of  Aristotle;  in  all  the  same 
idea  arose — to  raise  humanity  higher.  The  idea  was 
not  new — it  was  as  old  as  the  beginning  of  civilisation 
in  the  world.  What  they  had  to  be  thankful  for  that 
day  was  that  the  superstitions  of  the  religions  of  the 
past  were  disappearing.  One  was  the  superstition  in 
connection  with  human  sacrifice.  If  they  only  looked 
back  a  short  time  in  the  history  of  the  country 
(Rhodesia),  they  would  find  the  superstition  of  the 
M'limo,  which  gave  the  happy  despatch  to  so  many. 
That  was  also  a  religion,  but  a  bad  one.  The  object  of 
all  religions  in  the  future  would  be  the  betterment  of 
humanity,  and  he  would  ask  all  those  present  to  help 
in  however  small  a  degree  towards  the  settlement  of  that 
object." 

During  July  he  telegraphed  to  me  from  Bulawayo 
almost  daily.      Even  after  writing  an  ordinary  letter,  he 


212  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

generally  telegraphed  to  say  he  had  done  so.  I  find 
that  I  telegraphed  to  him  with  congratulations  on  his 
birthday  (5th  July),  and  again  on  15th  July  to  say  I 
had  carefully  read  his  Will  and  found  it  interesting 
rather  than  amusing. 

Foiled  in  his  hopes  of  crossing  the  Zambesi  owing 
to  administrative  business  requiring  his  early  presence 
in  Salisbury,  he  now  urged  me  to  come  up  to  Bulawayo 
and  accompany  him  in  a  mule-waggon.  Meanwhile  the 
House  of  Commons  had  received  and  considered  the 
Report  of  its  Select  Committee.  It  had  originally  been 
appointed  on  30th  July,  1896,  and  consisted  of  fifteen 
members,  including  the  Attorney-General  (Sir  R.  Web- 
ster), and  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  (Sir  Michael 
Hicks  Beach),  and  its  terms  of  reference  were,  "To 
inquire  into  the  Origin  and  Circumstances  of  the  Incursion 
into  the  South  African  Republic  of  an  Armed  Force,  and 
into  the  Administration  of  the  British  South  Africa  Com- 
pany, and  to  report  thereon:  and  further,  to  report  what 
alterations  are  desirable  in  the  government  of  the  Terri- 
tories under  the  control  of  the  Company."  On  14th 
August  the  Committee  decided  that  at  that  late  period 
of  the  session  it  was  undesirable  to  prosecute  the  inquiry, 
and  a  postponement  was  consequently  sanctioned. 

On  13th  July,  1897  the  Committee  presented  its  Report 
in  a  volume,  with  annexures,  of  780  pages.  They  had 
examined  a  very  large  number  of  important  witnesses  and 
asked  nearly  10,000  questions.  They  admitted  having 
had  before  them  the  Report  of  the  similar  Committee 
appointed  by  the  Cape  Parliament,  and  recorded  that 
Rhodes  had  expressed  his  willingness,  generally,  to  accept 
the  finding  of  that  Committee  as  to  the  facts,  and  that  he 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897       213 

had  made  it  clear  to  them  that  he  accepted  responsibility 
for  the  actions  of  those  who  had  served,  directly  or  in- 
directly, under  his  orders.  Their  conclusion  was,  in 
brief,  that  whatever  justification  there  may  have  been  for 
action  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Johannesburg,  there 
was  none  for  the  conduct  of  a  person  in  the  official 
position  of  Rhodes,  but  they  added,  as  the  Cape  Com- 
mittee had  virtually  added,  that  in  regard  to  allegations 
that  the  Raid  had  been  engineered  for  stock-jobbing  pur- 
poses, the  charge  was  entirely  without  foundation. 

It  may  be  noted  that  when  the  Report,  which  was 
drafted  by  the  Chairman,  came  up  for  consideration  on 
6th  July,  Mr.  Labouchere  endeavoured  to  substitute  for 
it  an  alternative  report  of  his  own,  but  he  found  himself 
in  a  minority  of  one.  The  Report  was  finally  adopted 
by  10  votes  to  i,  Mr.  Labouchere  absenting  himself. 

During  the  debate  that  ensued  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, it  became  clear  that  the  object  of  several  extreme 
members  was  not  so  much  to  punish  Rhodes  as  to  "get 
at"  Mr.  Chamberlain  and  the  Colonial  Office  for  purely 
party  purposes.  Ultimately  Mr.  Philip  Stanhope 
moved,  "That  this  House  regrets  the  inconclusive  action 
and  Report  of  the  Select  Committee  on  British  South 
Africa,  and  especially  the  failure  of  that  Committee  to 
recommend  specific  steps  with  regard  to  Mr.  Rhodes." 
The  robust  common  sense  of  the  House  threw  out  the 
Motion  by  304  votes  to  77,  amid  loud  cheers,  and 
although  a  press  controversy  raged  for  some  weeks,  the 
subject  gradually  dropped,  especially  as  the  nation  came 
to  see  that,  though  the  Raid  was  dead  and  buried,  the 
causes  that  led  to  it  were  still  very  much  alive  and  would 
probably  result,  sooner  or  later,  in  an  appeal  to  arms. 


214  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

On  the  4th  August  I  at  length  paid  my  first  visit  to 
Rhodesia,  reaching  rail-head  at  Francis  Town  five  days 
later,  and  Bulawayo  on  nth  August.  There  I  found 
Rhodes  deep  in  conference  with  railway  contractors, 
traffic  managers,  and  with  a  formidable  body  of  would- 
be  interviewers  lounging  at  his  office  doors.  Not  caring 
to  disturb  him,  I  retired  to  my  bedroom,  and  there,  mid- 
way in  a  leisurely  bath,  was  surprised  by  him.  He  burst 
upon  me  like  a  whirlwind,  threw  himself  on  the  bed,  and, 
while  I  dressed,  plunged  into  local.  Colonial  and  Imperial 
politics  with  the  abandon  of  a  man  who  had  long  been 
tongue-tied.  He  was  at  times  a  difficult  man  to  converse 
with,  as  he  often  assumed  that  you  knew  more  of  the 
workings  of  his  mind  and  of  his  plans  than  was  actually 
the  case. 

In  the  cool  of  the  evening  we  rode  together  to  Govern- 
ment House,  and  as  it  was  dark  ere  we  again  reached 
town  we  walked  our  horses,  while  Rhodes  discoursed 
of  "fate,  free-will,  foreknowledge  absolute";  recited  his 
religious  beliefs,  discussed  his  past  career  and  future 
schemes,  and  finally  came  round  to  the  point  at  which 
he  all  along  aimed — "Would  I  be  one  of  his  executors?" 
I  pointed  out  my  seniority  in  age,  which  he  met  by  declar- 
ing that  his  heart  was  affected  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
was  like  a  man  under  sentence  of  death,  I  then  objected 
that  under  his  Will  all  Cape  Colony  scholarships  were 
vested  in  the  South  African  College  and  the  Victoria 
College  at  Stellenbosch,  two  institutions  mainly  fre- 
quented at  that  date  by  Dutch-speaking  students,  whereas 
I  desired  to  strengthen  the  Diocesan  College,  Ronde- 
bosch,  and  the  St.  Andrew's  College,  Graham's  Town, 
which  were  conducted  more  on  the  lines  of  English  public 


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THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897        215 

schools.  He  at  once  agreed  to  provide  for  both  these 
Institutions,  and  requested  me  to  draft  a  codicil  to  that 
effect.  Early  next  morning  the  document  was  drawn 
up  and  duly  executed,  whereupon  he  exulted  like  a  great 
schoolboy — sat  upon  his  hands  as  was  his  wont  when 
pleased,  and  cried,  "I've  got  you:  I've  got  you  now." 

On  14th  August  he  drove  me  to  his  huts  in  the 
Matopos  where  we  spent  Sunday.  He  explained  to  me 
en  route  that  he  had  settled  4000  natives  on  the  estate, 
including  old  Babyan  and  several  witch-doctors  and  other 
dangerous  characters  recently  in  rebellion.  In  almost 
every  second  hut  there  was  a  chief.  Every  step  in  the 
Matabele  "peerage"  was  represented.  Lo  Bengula's 
own  brother  was  there,  with  several  of  his  wives,  children 
and  sisters.  I  suggested  that  we  should  all  have  our 
throats  cut,  but  he  jeered  at  me  as  a  "Town-bird,"  and 
asked  with  some  force  whether  it  was  not  good  policy 
to  have  all  the  malcontents  under  his  eye  and  control 
rather  than  allow  them  to  live  scattered  over  a  vast  area 
to  be  centres  of  sedition. 

After  an  early  breakfast  he  rode  with  me  to  what  he 
called  the  view  of  the  world,  in  order  to  point  out  the 
exact  spot  in  which  he  desired  to  be  buried,  and  he  lay 
down  there  "to  see  how  it  felt!" 

On  the  Sunday  afternoon  we  held  an  indaba  of  the 
indunas.  We  sat  in  a  small  group  surrounded  by  at 
least  fifty  stalwart  natives,  and  Rhodes,  addressing  them 
in  their  own  language,  said  a  few  words  to  each  chief. 
To  some  he  spoke  graciously,  much  to  their  delight. 
With  others  he  was  jocular,  whereupon  the  whole 
assembly,  after  the  immemorial  custom  of  courtiers, 
laughed  immoderately.     To  one  man  alone  he  was  mina- 


2i6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

tory  and  severe — a  man  who  was  reported  to  be  still 
mischievously  disposed.  To  him  Rhodes  addressed  a 
few  scathing  remarks,  till  the  fellow  slowly  changed  from 
darkest  bronze  to  ashen  grey,  and  the  beads  of  perspira- 
tion stood  out  upon  his  abashed  forehead. 

Finally,  he  spoke  to  them  collectively  on  a  subject  very 
near  his  heart — on  the  distinction  drawn  by  white  people 
between  killing  in  fair  fight  and  massacring  unprotected 
non-combatants  on  lonely  farms.  On  this  theme  he 
appeared  to  speak  with  real  eloquence,  and  as  the  crowd, 
in  excitement,  closed  in  upon  us,  he  put  the  crucial  ques- 
tion, "Will  you  promise  never  to  kill  our  women  and 
children  again?"  An  immediate,  unanimous  and  un- 
mistakable cry  in  the  affirmative  was  given,  but  Rhodes 
looked  disconcerted,  and  a  smile  flickered  on  the  faces 
of  those  who  knew  the  language,  for  the  reply,  as  I  after- 
wards ascertaind,  was  "We  will  kill  no  women,  Inkoos, 
Baba,  unless  thou  order  it." 

For  him,  and  at  his  bidding,  they  were  prepared  to 
commit  any  atrocity,  and  therefore,  like  the  Town  Clerk 
at  Ephesus,  he  judiciously  dismissed  the  Assembly. 

On  Monday  morning  we  visited  Mosilikatze's  grave 
in  the  hills  to  see  that  it  was  intact.  During  the  war 
a  ruffianly  trooper  rifled  the  cairn  and  was  preparing 
to  sell  the  dead  king's  bones  as  curios,  but  Rhodes 
came  down  upon  him  like  an  avalanche,  recovered  the 
fragments  and  summoned  the  Matabele  far  and  wide 
to  come  and  restore  them  to  their  resting-place  with  all 
the  pomp  and  ceremony  dear  to  the  native  mind.  It  was 
this  intimate  insight  into  their  thoughts  and  habits  that 
gave  Rhodes  so  strong  a  hold  upon  all  native  tribes  with 
whom  he  was  brought  into  contact. 


THE  SELECT  COMMITTEE,  1897        217 

On  1 8th  August  we  left  Bulawayo  for  Salisbury,  where 
we  arrived  In  a  fortnight  after  a  most  enjoyable  trek 
in  the  veld,  starting  very  early  every  morning,  shooting 
along  the  road,  and  sitting  late  around  the  camp  fire. 
It  was  a  severe  mental  discipline  to  be  at  such  close 
quarters  with  Rhodes.  He  had  a  habit  of  throwing  at 
one  the  gravest  problems  and  requiring  their  Instant  and 
intelligent  discussion.  Weak  platitudes  and  slip-shod 
reasons  were  an  abomination  to  him,  and  he  kept  one's 
faculties  at  full  stretch. 

On  23rd  August  we  slept  at  Enkeldoorn,  an  exclu- 
sively Dutch  settlement.  Rhodes  had  an  Informal  and 
afterwards  a  formal  talk  with  them  in  their  own  language, 
and  they  subsequently  cheered  us  vociferously  on  our  way, 
as  If  there  had  never  been  any  Raid  at  all. 

At  Charter  we  had  an  amusing  experience.  The 
young  non-commissioned  officer  In  charge  came  to  report 
that  a  local  chief,  Umswitchwe,  was  mutinous  and  re- 
quired to  be  promptly  dealt  with,  as  he  had  shot  Major 
Ridley  In  the  foot  and  killed  one  of  his  troopers  and  a 
policeman.  "He  even  defies  me,  sir,"  said  the  com- 
plainant, as  if  that  filled  up  the  chief's  cup.  Rhodes 
mildly  reminded  him  that  he  himself  was  no  longer  a 
man  In  authority,  as  the  armed  forces  of  the  Company 
had  been  vested  in  Sir  Richard  Martin,  but  the  officer 
gave  a  tolerant  smile  at  this  absurdity  and  stood  his 
ground.      The  following  dialogue  then  took  place : — 

Rhodes.    "But  how  did  the  chief  defy  you?" 

N.-C.  Officer.     "He  jeered  at  me." 

Rhodes.   "Jeering  does  not  constitute  a  casus  belli." 

N.-C.  Officer.    "Well,  I'm  blest!" 

Rhodes.    "I  tell  you  what  you  can  do.     You  go  right 


2i8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

up  to  the  kraal  and  be  fired  at.  That  will  be  a  casus 
belli." 

N.  C.  Officer  {saluting).  "Very  good,  sir,  I'll  go 
on  Wednesday." 

This  tranquil  arrangement  rather  took  my  breath 
away,  but  a  day  or  two  after  our  arrival  at  Salisbury 
the  imperturbable  non-commissioned  officer  rode  in, 
bringing  the  chief  a  prisoner.  He  had  drawn  fire  on  the 
Wednesday  as  arranged,  stormed  the  kraal  and  captured 
Umswitchwe  red-handed.      Of  such  is  our  Island  brood. 

I  had  a  pleasant  time  at  Salisbury,  rough-drafting  Acts 
and  Ordinances  required  by  Rhodes,  and  finally  left  the 
Territory  by  way  of  Beira  and  reached  Cape  Town  on 
17th  September.  Rhodes,  though  suffering  from  influenza, 
was  a  delightful  companion  and  comrade,  as  all  who 
ever  travelled  with  him  will  testify.  His  thoughtfulness 
for  others  was  proverbial,  and  he  was  never  seen  to 
better  advantage  than  when  on  trek. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 
SERIOUS  ILLNESS 

Transcontinental  Telegraph — Rhodes  at  Inyanga — Opening  of  Railway 
to  Bulawayo — Native  newspaper — Subscribes  to  party  funds — High 
Commissioner  in  Rhodesia — Rhodes  back  at  Salisbury — Transvaal 
claim  for  Moral  and  Intellectual  Damages. 

During  our  journey  between  Bulawayo  and  Salisbury, 
Rhodes  thought  and  spoke  much  of  his  project  of  link- 
ing up  Cape  Town  with  Egypt  by  means  of  his  African 
Transcontinental  Telegraphic  Company.  For  nearly  two 
years  he  had  frequently  re-erected  the  section  between 
Salisbury  and  Tete — an  unhealthy  district  220  miles  in 
length.  Telegraphists  died  at  their  post,  natives  cut  the 
wires,  elephants  destroyed  the  poles,  and  the  maintenance 
of  the  section  seemed  to  present  insuperable  difficulties. 
Beyond  Tete  to  Tanganyika  the  line  was  progressing 
satisfactorily,  but  the  Salisbury-Tete  section  caused  con- 
tinual anxiety. 

Soon  after  we  left  Enkeldoorn,  we  fell  in  with  Lieu- 
tenant Wood  of  the  7th  Dragoons,  with  fifty  men,  bound 
to  Salisbury  with  telegraph  material.  Thereafter  Rhodes 
dropped  into  a  brown  study  of  at  least  an  hour's  dura- 
tion, terminated  by  an  imperious  call  for  a  map  of  South 
Africa.  This  he  studied  intently  for  some  time  until 
suddenly  his  brow  cleared  and  he  exclaimed,  "Thank 
God,  that's  settled."  In  an  hour  he  had  entirely  altered 
the  route  of  the  line,   abandoned  Salisbury  as  a  base, 


220  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

and  decided  to  pull  down  the  poles  and  re-erect  them 
from  Umtall,  carrying  the  wires  over  the  high  and 
healthy  plateau  of  Inyanga  to  where  Manicaland  slopes 
to  the  Zambesi  in  the  north-east  corner  of  Rhodesia, 
With  his  thumb  he  had  roughly  calculated  distances. 
He  had,  moreover,  chosen  an  experienced  telegraphist 
to  relay  the  line,  and  decided  to  request  Dr.  Jameson 
to  supervise  the  work,  and  had  sketched  out  a  plan  to 
erect  a  Sanatorium  for  disabled  workmen.  At  the  next 
telegraph  station  he  despatched  the  necessary  messages 
to  all  parties  concerned,  and  left  a  note  for  Lieutenant 
Wood  to  take  men  and  materials  across  country  to 
Umtali,  after  which  he  dismissed  the  subject  from  his 
mind. 

In  consequence  of  this  decision  Dr.  Jameson  travelled 
down  with  me  to  Umtali  and  went  from  thence  to  In- 
yanga, and  Rhodes  soon  followed  him,  while  I  returned 
to  Cape  Town  by  sea.  Inyanga  is  a  healthy  district 
over  6000  feet  above  the  sea,  but  hardly  an  ideal  resi- 
dence for  a  man  with  a  weak  heart.  He  had  barely 
recovered  from  influenza  when  he  contracted  fever,  and 
for  a  while  his  life  hung  in  the  balance.  Serious  rumours 
at  length  reached  Cape  Town  as  to  the  condition  of  his 
health,  and  during  September  and  October  I  received 
numerous  messages  on  the  subject,  in  which  he  admitted 
a  breakdown.  So  late  as  15th  November  he  wired  that 
he  was  progressing  favourably  but  obliged  to  keep  very 
quiet,  and  in  December  he  stated  that  the  Magistrate  at 
Umtali  was  down  with  fever,  and  that  he  had  ordered 
him  away  to  Muizenberg,  where  he  was  to  occupy  the 
cottage  which  I  was  requested  to  furnish  for  his  reception. 

Even  in  illness  his  thoughtfulness   for  others   never 


SERIOUS  ILLNESS  221 

slackened.  Throughout  this  period  he  sent  me  a  large 
number  of  business  telegrams  dealing  with  the  general 
election,  the  re-building  of  Groote  Schuur  and  the 
purchase  of  fruit  farms.  All  these  had  to  be  despatched 
by  native  runners  to  Umtali,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles. 

On  7th  November,  1897,  he  wrote  to  his  agent  at 
Bulawayo  as  follows,  "As  regards  the  farmers  I  am  help- 
ing In  the  Matopos,  Insist  on  their  making  butter  daily, 
and  that  they  keep  the  plough  going  now  the  planting 
season  Is  here.  People  must  learn  that  they  must  work 
all  day.  We  must  have  no  loafers;  our  farmers  must 
work,  otherwise  they  will  fail." 

On  4th  December  the  railway  was  opened  to  Bulawayo 
amid  general  rejoicings,  but  Rhodes,  of  course,  was  too 
ill  to  attend.  In  August,  before  he  left  for  the  Eastern 
part  of  Rhodesia  he  had,  however,  given  Instructions 
that  all  those  who  came  up  for  the  opening  ceremony 
should  be  sent  out  to  the  Matopos,  arranging  that  a 
good  road  should  be  constructed  and  mule  coaches 
engaged  for  the  conveyance  of  the  large  number  of 
visitors  who  came  from  all  parts  of  South  Africa  as  well 
as  from  England.  Every  one  was  delighted  beyond 
measure  at  his  forethought,  and  It  was  far  and  away  the 
feature  of  the  occasion. 

About  this  time  he  was  Interesting  himself  In  a  pro- 
ject for  starting  a  respectable  native  newspaper  In  the 
Cape  Colony,  which  resulted  in  the  publication  of  Izzvi 
Lahantu  (The  Voice  of  the  People)  as  a  rival  to  an 
existing  paper  which  had  been  captured  by  the  Afri- 
kander party.  He  also  authorised  considerable  ad- 
ditional political  expenditure  In  connection  with  the 
approaching  elections. 


222  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

A  delicate  question  was  also  remitted  to  him  for  settle- 
ment, owing  to  an  announcement  that  Dr.  Jameson  had 
been  invited  to  stand  for  the  Cape  Parliament.  On  12th 
and  13th  November,  telegrams  were  sent  to  him  by  party 
agents  and  by  prominent  politicians  urging  that  the  candi- 
dature should  be  withdrawn,  but  Rhodes  declined  to 
intervene  and  Dr.  Jameson  was  duly  elected,  thus  com- 
mencing a  public  career  which  rehabilitated  him  in  the 
good  opinion  of  South  Africa  and  led  at  no  distant  date 
to  the  Premiership  of  the  Colony. 

Meanwhile,  the  new  High  Commissioner  had  lost  no 
time  in  visiting  Rhodesia  where,  on  25th  November, 
at  Umtali,  he  received  an  address  from  the  inhabitants 
which,  inter  alia,  said : — 

"We  desire  to  call  your  Excellency's  attention  to  the 
fact  that  the  man  whose  conception  the  occupation  of 
this  great  country  was,  and  who  has  led  us  successfully 
through  years  of  doubt  and  danger  to  a  continually  in- 
creasing prosperity,  no  longer  holds  any  controlling  or 
official  position  in  its  government,  and  to  assure  your 
Excellency  of  the  determination  of  the  people  of  this 
country  to  stand  firmly  by  Mr.  Rhodes,  who  has  stood 
so  well  by  us." 

In  his  reply,  the  High  Commissioner  struck  a  bold 
and  sympathetic  note.  "He  could  not  fail,"  he  said, 
"to  refer  to  the- prominent  services  of  Mr.  Rhodes. 
(Loud  and  prolonged  cheering.)  He  believed  it  was 
the  desire  of  the  country  to  stand  by  Mr.  Rhodes,  and 
it  was  the  strong  and  hearty  support  of  the  people  which 
pulled  him  through  as  critical  a  time  as  had  ever  occurred 
in  the  life  of  any  contemporary  British  statesman." 
(Loud  cheers.)^ 


SERIOUS  ILLNESS  223 

During  December  Rhodes,  though  still  an  Invalid, 
managed  to  travel  back  to  Salisbury.  While  there  he 
received  a  joint  telegram  from  an  Influential  group  of 
friends  and  political  supporters,  declaring  that  his  pres- 
ence In  Cape  Town  was  urgently  needed;  that  Mr.  Hof- 
meyr  was  exerting  himself  strenuously  at  the  Paarl  and 
other  Dutch  districts  to  ensure  the  success  of  his  party 
at  the  polls  In  the  following  March,  and  that  Transvaal 
secret  service  money  was  being  disbursed  with  a  lavish 
hand.  The  doctors,  however,  put  a  veto  on  the  journey 
and  ordered  him  a  long  sea  voyage.  For  a  while  he 
amused  himself  by  planning  a  trip  to  Canada  to  see  Sir 
Wilfrid  Laurler,  for  whom  he  always  expressed  great 
admiration,  but  when  the  time  came  he  found  that  it 
was  Impossible  to  get  away.  He  accordingly  proceeded 
to  Bulawayo  on  31st  December,  1897,  reaching  that  town 
on  3rd  January,  1898,  his  health  having  temporarily 
Improved.  He  arrived  in  Cape  Town  later  in  the  month, 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  discuss  with  me  the  Transvaal 
claim  for  £677,938  for  material  damages  In  connection 
with  the  Raid,  but  the  further  claim  of  £1,000,000  for 
"moral  and  Intellectual"  damages  he  refused  to  regard  as 
serious.  He  suggested  the  appointment  of  an  arbitrator 
on  each  side,  and  requested  me  to  act  for  the  British 
South  Africa  Company.  The  claim,  as  we  know,  came 
to  nothing — indeed,  there  seems  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Transvaal  Government  made  a  substantial  profit  out 
of  the  unfortunate  expedition,  as  a  War  Tax  had  already 
been  levied  on  every  property-owning  Uitlander  who 
happened  to  be  an  absentee,  and  the  fines  on  the  Re- 
formers, levied  with  unsparing  severity,  came  to  a  large 
sum. 


224  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

During  this  period  of  enforced  Idleness  owing  to  ill- 
health,  Rhodes  dwelt  frequently,  In  conversation  with 
friends,  on  his  desire  to  be  buried  in  the  Matopos.  "Lay 
me  there,"  he  would  say;  "my  Rhodesians  will  like  It: 
they  have  never  bitten  me." 

The  approach  of  death  was  familiar  to  his  mind,  and 
although  he  was  wont  to  refer  regretfully  to  the  brevity 
of  modern  life,  and  to  scoff  at  Methuselah  as  a  man 
who  must  "have  missed  many  chances,"  he  uttered  no 
unmanly  repinings  at  the  approach  of  the  dread  Shadow. 

It  was  his  consolation  that  Rhodesia  was  on  the  way 
to  greatness. 

"Don't  forget,"  he  said  about  this  time,  "that  Rhodesia 
will  some  day  be  the  dominant  factor  in  South  African 
politics.  All  the  other  States  will  court  her,  but  she 
must  be  wary  of  accepting  their  advances.  They  will 
seek  her  In  their  own  interests,  but  she  must  remember 
the  rock  from  which  she  was  hewn,  and  the  Empire  of 
which  she  is  one  of  the  outposts." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  (1898) 

Matopo  Dam — Rhodes  in  Cape  Town — Interviewed  by  Cape  Times — 
New  Order  in  Council — Addresses  Cape  electors — Sails  for  Eng- 
land— Present  at  meeting  of  Chartered  Company — Attends  meet- 
ing Transcontinental  Telegraphs — Cape  Parliament  assembles — 
Efforts  to  overthrow  Sprigg  by  Schreiner  and  the  Bond — Redistri- 
bution Bill — Sprigg  defends  his  letter  to  Chamberlain — Govern- 
ment defeated — Appeal  to  the  country — Rhodes's  political  speeches 
— Result  of  General  Election — Sprigg  resigns — Schreiner  succeeds — 
Rhodes  presents  the  Van  Riebeeck  statue  to  Cape  Town — Attends 
the  De  Beers  meeting — Sails  for  England. 

Having  strenuously  endeavoured  to  give  a  favourable 
turn  to  the  fortunes  of  his  settlers  in  Rhodesia,  Rhodes 
now  addressed  himself  to  the  task  of  giving  an  object 
lesson  to  that  country  by  completing  the  construction  of 
his  immense  Dam  in  the  Matopos,  capable  of  placing 
under  irrigation  an  extensive  area  of  good  soil  on  the 
flats  below  the  little  kopje  on  which  he  had  built  his 
residential  huts.  It  was  a  bold  undertaking,  for  such 
works  involve  a  considerable  outlay,  and  in  South  Africa 
— a  country  of  torrential  rains — are  not  unseldom 
washed  away,  with  disastrous  results.  But  his  choice 
of  a  Contractor,  as  well  as  that  of  a  supervising  engineer, 
was  a  wise  one.  The  Dam  has  stood  the  test  of  time, 
and  below  it  there  is  now  a  smiling  valley  where  formerly 
there  was  nothing  but  bare  veld. 

In  January,  1898,  he  was  back  in  Cape  Town  arrang- 
ing with  the  Commissioner  of  Railways  for  joint  working 


226  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

arrangements  and  in-transit  rates  between  the  Cape 
Colony  and  Rhodesia,  a  task  involving  much  delicate 
negotiation. 

On  nth  February  a  deputation  from  the  Progressive 
organisation,  the  South  African  League,  visited  Groote 
Schuur  and  discussed  the  rumoured  closer  union  between 
the  two  Dutch  Republics,  when  Rhodes  made  the  im- 
portant suggestion  that  in  such  a  case  the  Cape,  Natal, 
and  Rhodesia  should  federate  under  the  British  flag. 

On  8th  March  he  created  a  widespread  sensation  by 
according  an  interview  to  the  Cape  Times,  at  which, 
in  very  outspoken  fashion,  he  declared  that  his  old  sup- 
porter the  Bond,  under  its  new  leadership,  was  entirely 
against  progress,  unity  and  equality,  and  was  dominated 
by  a  Continental  gang  in  Pretoria.  He  added  that  Rho- 
desia now  offered  more  fascinations  for  him  than  Cape 
politics,  and  that  he  was  willing  to  retire  from  the  latter 
provided  the  people  of  the  Colony  would  let  him  go. 

About  this  time  his  many  anxieties  were  aggravated 
by  the  announced  intention  of  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment to  make  important  alterations  in  the  Matabeleland 
Order  in  Council  (1894)  so  as  to  limit  the  power  of 
administration  and  control  hitherto  exercised  by  the 
Chartered  Company.  Authority  over  the  police  had 
already  been  withdrawn  as  the  result  of  the  Raid,  and 
it  was  not  an  unreasonable  contention  of  the  Company 
that  any  further  restriction  of  their  powers  might  re-act 
disastrously  on  the  native  mind. 

On  1 2th  March  Rhodes  addressed  the  electors  of  Cape 
Town  in  support  of  the  Progressive  candidates  then  in 
the  field. 

After   dealing  with   local   politics   and   putting   in   a 


A  STRENJJOUS  YEAR  227 

weighty  plea  for  a  Colonial  contribution  to  the  Royal 
Navy,  he  touched  on  the  burning  question  of  the  mis- 
government  of  the  Transvaal,  pointing  out  that,  though 
the  newcomers  outnumbered  the  Boers  and  were  prac- 
tically bearing  the  whole  taxation  of  the  country,  the 
President  was  depriving  them  of  the  franchise,  forbidding 
the  use  of  their  language  and  the  right  of  public  meeting, 
and  tampering  with  the  independence  of  the  Judicial 
Bench. 

Referring  again  to  the  frequent  suggestion  of  his 
opponents  that  he  would  do  well  to  disappear  from 
public  life,  he  declared  that  he  had  many  faults  to  atone 
for,  and  the  best  atonement  he  could  make  would  be  to 
work  for  great  South  African  objects  and  sacrifice  every- 
thing for  the  cause. 

Reuter's  cable  to  London  reported  that  Rhodes  had 
a  splendid  reception  from  an  immense  audience  which 
completely  filled  the  hall.  On  15th  March  he  was  equally 
well  received  when  addressing  a  workman's  meeting  at 
Salt  River.  The  report  says  he  spoke  with  unusual  ease, 
and  never  for  a  moment  lost  touch  with  his  audience. 

The  next  day  he  left  for  England  in  the  Tantallon 
Castle,  undertaking  to  return,  if  possible,  in  time  for 
the  meeting  of  Parliament  in  May. 

From  Madeira  he  cabled  a  large  additional  grant  to 
party  funds — a  grant  supplemented  later  on.  Transvaal 
secret  service  money  was,  rightly  or  wrongly,  believed 
to  be  the  great  resource  of  his  political  opponents  and, 
rather  than  be  unfairly  beaten,  he  was  prepared  to  help 
every  Progressive  candidate  who  was  judged  unable  to 
afford  the  expense  of  the  general  election  now  approach- 
ing.   There  is  much  to  be  said  by  the  purist  against  these 


228  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

subsidies,  but  let  those  who  have  never  accepted  such 
assistance  cast  the  first  stone. 

On  2ist  April,  the  British  South  Africa  Company  held 
an  important  meeting  of  its  shareholders.  No  meeting 
had  been  held  in  1897,  and  therefore  the  accounts  of 
two  years  were  presented.  Rhodes  was  present  and  was 
made  the  subject  of  an  extraordinarily  enthusiastic 
demonstration.  Shareholders  were  receiving  no  dividend 
and  no  promise  or  prospect  of  one,  but  with  a  vein  of 
sentiment  extremely  rare  on  such  occasions  they  received 
him  with  frantic  applause.  "Vindex"  remarks  of  him, 
"As  he  stood  and  looked  over  that  crowd  of  eager  faces 
he  seemed  less  impassive  and  more  human  than  usual: 
more  like  a  modern  man  who  knew  what  failure  and 
suffering  meant  than — as  he  usually  looked — a  Roman 
Emperor  born  with  an  ambition  to  administer  the  world." 

His  speech  is  far  too  long  for  insertion  here.  It  was 
a  sound  defence  of  the  policy  of  the  Company,  and  in 
regard  to  the  Customs  Tariff  he  was  able  to  announce 
that  his  prophecy  had  come  true.  The  British  Govern- 
ment had  at  length  yielded  to  his  importunity  and  for- 
bidden the  imposition  in  Southern  Rhodesia  of  any  higher 
duties  on  goods  of  British  manufacture.  He  had  estab- 
lished his  point  and  granted  the  mother  country  prefer- 
ential rates  almost  in  her  own  despite.  Sooner  or  later 
his  will  generally  prevailed. 

On  19th  May  he  addressed  a  meeting  of  shareholders 
in  the  Transcontinental  Telegraph  Company,  at  which 
he  reviewed  the  position  and  prospects  of  the  concern 
in  an  interesting  and  characteristic  speech.  He  must 
immediately  have  sailed  for  the  Cape,  as  we  find  him  in 
the  House  of  Assembly  there  three  weeks  later. 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  229 

The  Cape  Parliament  held  a  short  session  from  20th 
May  to  25th  June.  In  his  opening  speech  Sir  Alfred 
Milner,  after  remarking  that  he  was  addressing  them 
for  the  first  time,  thanked  members  for  their  loyal  wel- 
come, referred  to  the  shadow  cast  over  the  Empire  by 
the  death  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  and  announced,  in  guarded 
terms,  that  the  relations  of  the  Cape  with  other  South 
African  States  were  cordial,  and  that  Natal  had  joined 
the  Customs  Union. 

Sir  Gordon  Sprigg,  however,  was  soon  to  feel  that 
the  anti-Rhodes  party  were  determined  to  drive  him  from 
power.  On  31st  May  Schreiner,  whose  abilities  were 
recognised  and  perhaps  utilised  by  extremer  men,  led 
the  assault  by  giving  notice  that  at  an  early  date  he 
would  move  "That  the  Government  does  not  possess  the 
confidence  of  the  House."  The  motion  did  not  come 
on  for  a  fortnight.  During  the  interval  sev^eral  reaction- 
ary Dutch  members  gave  a  taste  of  their  quality.  In  a 
debate  on  Native  Labour  they  reviled  the  lazy  habits 
of  the  natives,  but  the  Premier,  in  defence,  said  the  native 
was  a  good  servant  if  properly  treated  by  farmers,  and 
that  under  Rhodes's  Glen  Grey  Act,  natives,  instead  of 
loafing  and  stealing,  now  went  out  to  work. 

On  2nd  June  a  private  member  drew  attention  to  a 
resolution  of  the  House  of  ist  June,  1897,  requesting  the 
Transvaal  to  rescind  the  prohibitive  and  unfriendly  tax 
on  Cape  tobacco,  but  the  Premier  had  to  reply  that  his 
representations  to  the  President  had  been  unavailing. 

On  loth  June  an  adjourned  debate  on  the  Parlia- 
mentary Representation  Bill  was  resumed.  The  measure 
had  been  referred  to  in  the  Governor's  speech  in  the 
following  terms ; — 


230  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

"Since  the  Constitution  was  conferred  upon  the  Colony 
nearly  half  a  century  ago,  many  changes  have  occurred 
In  regard  to  the  number  and  location  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  on  this  account  it  has  been  generally  recognised  that 
the  time  has  arrived  when  the  electoral  divisions  and  the 
number  of  their  representatives  should  be  brought  into 
line  with  the  distribution  of  the  people  to-day."  The 
Governor  proceeded  to  add  that  an  experienced  Com- 
mittee had  reported  on  this  subject,  that  their  recommen- 
dations had  been  accepted  in  the  main,  and  that  a  Bill 
had  been  drafted  in  terms  thereof  to  provide  for  the 
better  representation  of  the  people. 

In  theory  the  necessity  for  such  a  redistribution  was 
unquestioned,  but,  as  we  know,  in  the  absence  of  any 
automatic  system,  every  adjustment  of  the  franchise  by 
one  political  party  is  jealously  scrutinised  by  the  oppo- 
sition. It  was  so  on  this  occasion.  The  towns,  which 
during  many  years  had  grown  to  a  considerable  extent, 
were  now  much  under-represented,  while  the  country 
districts  had  more  than  their  share.  But  the  towns  were 
preponderantly  British  and  progressive:  the  rural  dis- 
tricts were  Dutch.  It  was  a  bold  step  on  the  part  of 
Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  to  endeavour,  at  this  juncture,  to 
redress  the  balance,  and  the  Bond  were  not  unnaturally 
quick  to  suspect  that  although  the  voice  was  the  voice 
of  Sprigg  the  hand  was  the  hand  of  Rhodes. 

Rhodes  was  present  during  the  adjourned  debate,  but 
beyond  an  Interjection  of  disagreement  when  attacked  by 
Schreiner  for  fanning  racial  flame — a  flagrantly  unjust 
charge  considering  the  facts — he  again  contented  himself 
with  a  bare  denial  of  the  statement.  It  was  evident 
that  his  opponents  were  endeavouring  to  taunt  him  into 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  231 

Injudicious  speech,  but  he  was  too  shrewd  to  be  caught, 
and  the  net  was  spread  in  vain. 

After  prolonged  debate,  the  second  reading  of  the 
Bill  was  carried  on  20th  June  by  42  to  35,  Rhodes  voting 
with  the  Government.  An  analysis  of  the  division  list 
shows  that,  but  for  a  certain  amount  of  unexpected  sup- 
port from  a  few  moderate  Dutch  members,  the  Gov- 
ernment would  have  been  defeated.  Indeed,  a  few  days 
earlier,  and  on  a  minor  point,  they  had  been  left  in  a 
minority  of  ten,  and  they  now  had  to  face  the  direct  Issue 
of  "No  confidence"  raised  by  Schreiner. 

This  motion  occupied  the  House  for  several  days  and 
led,  as  might  have  been  expected,  to  extravagant  dis- 
plays of  racial  feeling  which  Rhodes  was  so  anxious  to 
avoid,  and  the  responsibility  for  which  history  will  prob- 
ably place  on  Schreiner  alone. 

On  the  14th  June,  the  latter  spoke  for  two  hours, 
and  after  accusing  Sprigg  of  endeavouring  to  prevent 
the  Raid  inquiry  in  1896,  and  criticising  all  the  latter's 
colleagues  with  eloquent  acrimony,  he  fell  upon  Rhodes 
with  cold  and  calculated  fury.  The  next  day,  after  what 
all  parties  admitted  to  be  a  masterly  speech  from  Innes 
In  support  of  the  Government,  Rhodes  at  length  spoke, 
In  justice,  he  said,  both  to  his  constituents  and  himself. 
"If,"  he  added,  "the  motion  Is  carried,  we  know  what 
will  be  the  result.  We  shall  go  to  the  country.  As  far  as 
I  am  concerned  I  am  only  too  ready  to  go  to  the  country." 
(Loud  cheers.) 

On  22nd  June,  Sprigg  summed  up  the  debate.  Re- 
plying to  a  debating  point  that  he  had  endeavoured  to 
whitewash  Rhodes  in  the  course  of  a  letter  to  the  Sec- 
retary  of   State   for   the   Colonies,   he   replied   that    he 


232  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

adhered  to  ev^ery  word  he  had  written,  and  especially  to 
the  following,  which  he  read  to  the  House  in  extenso : 
"With  respect  to  Mr.  Rhodes,  it  is  my  belief  that  he 
still  retains  to  a  large  extent  the  popularity  he  has  held 
in  South  Africa  for  some  years.  Speaking  for  the  Cape 
Colony,  I  should  say  the  vast  majority  of  the  English 
population  support  him  strongly,  and  I  doubt  whether 
more  than  half  even  of  the  Dutch  population  are  really 
opposed  to  him.  I  observe  that  a  notice  of  motion  has 
been  given  for  the  removal  of  his  name  from  the  Privy 
Council.  I  am  convinced  that  such  action  would  not  be 
favourably  reviewed  in  the  Cape  Colony:  it  would  in- 
dicate a  vindictive  feeling,  and  that  feeling  is  certainly 
not  entertained  by  many  persons  in  the  Colony.  Of 
course,  every  one  recognises  that  a  wrong  has  been  done 
and  that  punishment  must  follow,  as  a  matter  of  course. 
But  Mr.  Rhodes's  punishment  has  been  great.  He  has 
lost,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  great  position  he  held.  The 
public  generally  see  and  understand  that,  but  what  they 
do  not  see  is  the  terrific  force  of  the  blow  that  has  been 
received:  that  can  only  be  measured  by  those  who,  like 
myself,  have  been  intimately  associated  with  him.  We 
would  say,  'Do  not  strike  him  down  to  the  earth.'  But 
there  Is  something  beyond  this.  Rhodes  has  rendered 
great  services  to  the  Empire  In  South  Africa:  services 
so  great  that  they  should  be  regarded  as  a  set-off  against 
the  one  wrong  he  has  committed.  That  will  be  the 
verdict  of  history:  that,  I  am  convinced,  will  be  the 
judgment  of  the  great  majority  of  the  people  of  the 
Colony  if  a  poll  were  taken  on  the  question  to-day.  The 
desire  Is  that  the  errors  of  the  past  should  be  forgotten 
and  that  Mr.  Rhodes  should  be  cheered  and  encouraged 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  233 

in  the  great  work  he  has  undertaken  In  the  Interior  of 
South  Africa,  so  that  he  may  be  able  to  offer  the  fruits 
of  his  labour  as  a  rich  atonement  for  his  past  offences." 

It  was  a  courageous  letter,  and  it  was  addressed  to 
a  courageous  and  Imperial  statesman,  and  had  Its  due 
weight.  The  Premier,  in  one  of  the  finest  speeches  he 
ever  made,  defended  the  policy  of  his  administration  as 
cautious,  conciliatory  and  suited  to  the  dangerous  times 
in  which  the  country  found  itself,  but  owing  to  the  de- 
fection of  the  three  notorious  mugwumps,  whose  con- 
sciences frequently  impelled  them  to  vote  against  their 
own  party  on  critical  occasions,  the  Government,  on  a 
division,  were  left  In  a  minority  of  five,  and  on  the 
following  day  Sprigg  announced  that  the  interests  of  the 
country  demanded  a  dissolution  of  the  House,  and  that 
the  Governor  was  prepared  to  act  accordingly.  The 
Opposition,  who  had  apparently  relied  on  the  immediate 
resignation  of  the  Government,  were  obviously  chagrined, 
and  threatened  to  refuse  to  pass  the  Partial  Appropria- 
tion Bill  required,  but  after  several  days'  debate,  during 
which  Rhodes  repeatedly  spoke  with  dignity  and  effect, 
more  patriotic  counsels  prevailed,  supply  was  granted, 
and  on  28th  June  the  House  was  prorogued. 

The  election  that  followed  was  a  memorable  one.  The 
Bond,  after  serious  questionings,  had  definitely  broken 
with  Rhodes  and  accepted  Schreiner  as  his  successor. 
Party  feeling  ran  high,  and  neither  side  would  give 
quarter.  Rhodes  threw  himself  into  the  contest  with 
great  energy. 

During  August  he  visited  all  the  outlying  stations  in 
his  own  constituency  of  Barkly  West,  speaking  on  the 
first   at  Windsorten   and   Barkly  West;   on  the   second 


234  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

at  Klipdam  twice;  again  at  Barkly  West  on  the  third, 
and  at  Longlands  on  the  fourth.  Later  in  the  month  he 
again  spoke  at  KHpdam.  Everywhere  he  was  received 
with  enthusiasm.  Schreiner,  hitherto  his  colleague,  wisely 
did  not  seek  re-election  at  Barkly  West,  a  safer  Bond 
seat  being  provided  for  him  at  Malmesbury,  a  Dutch 
district. 

On  3rd  September,  he  spoke  at  Taungs,  and  twice  at 
Vryburg,  in  support  of  the  Progressive  candidates.  A 
press  report  says: — 

"At  Taungs  the  station  was  decorated  with  bunting, 
and  a  large  crowd  had  assembled,  who  cheered  vocifer- 
ously as  the  train  steamed  in.  Mr.  Rhodes  and  party 
having  alighted,  Mr.  Green,  Secretary  of  the  local  Elec- 
tion Committee,  presented  an  address  of  welcome  and 
congratulation. 

"Mr.  Rhodes,  in  reply,  said:  *I  have  to  thank  you, 
gentlemen,  for  your  kindness  in  coming  from  Taungs 
to  see  me,  and  also  for  the  address  with  which  you  have 
been  so  good  as  to  present  me.  I  think  I  am  justified 
in  saying  that  had  it  not  been  for  myself  this  country 
would  now  form  a  portion  of  the  Transvaal,  and  it  is 
for  you  to  judge  whether  you  are  better  off  under  Her 
Majesty's  flag,  with  all  the  advantages  accruing  from 
the  extension  to  the  North,  or  whether  it  would  have 
been  better  if  you  had  become  an  integral  part  of  the 
Transvaal  Republic.  But  I  do  claim  that  owing  to  my- 
self to  a  great  extent  the  map  has  been  changed.  You 
have  given  me  a  very  cordial  greeting  to-day,  and  we 
have  at  the  present  moment  entered  upon  a  contest  on 
the  basis  of  progress  against  what  is  termed  retrogres- 
sion.   As  you  are  no  doubt  aware,  this  is  the  last  of  the 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  235 

elections,  and  if  we  have  any  success  on  the  petitions 
that  have  already  been  instituted  against  the  return  of 
several  Bond  members,  we — the  Progressives — shall  be 
in  a  majority  in  the  new  Parliament.  But  really  the 
whole  fate  of  the  country  turns  upon  the  issue  of  the 
election  which  is  now  taking  place  in  this  constituency. 
I  hope  that  you  will  use  your  best  endeavours  to  return 
the  Progressive  Candidates.  (Cheers.)  For  if  there 
is  one  part  of  the  country  more  than  another  which  should 
give  its  undivided  support  to  the  cause  and  the  party  of 
progress  it  is,  I  firmly  believe,  this  territory  of  Bechuana- 
land.  That  is,  if  you  agree  with  me  that  it  is  better 
that  you  should  live  under  the  rule  of  Her  Majesty  than 
under  the  flag  of  the  South  African  Republic.  (Loud 
cheers.)  That  was  the  battle  which  was  fought  here 
nine  years  ago  with  the  successful  result  that  this  coun- 
try was  saved  and  eventually  added  to  the  Cape  Colony 
under  Her  Majesty's  flag.  Now,  on  Monday  next,  you 
have  once  more  to  decide,  this  time  at  the  polling  booths, 
whether  that  policy  was  right  or  wrong.  (Cries  of 
"Quite  right"  and  cheers.)  The  issue  before  the  coun- 
try has  been  confused  and  complicated  by  the  introduction 
of  all  sorts  of  side  issues,  but,  squarely  faced,  the  para- 
mount question  before  the  country  which  one  has  taken, 
and  the  old  Cape  Colony — the  issues  which  are  before 
you — involve  not  only  the  past  but  the  future  of  this 
country.  You  feel  with  me  that  if  the  Bond  party  is 
returned  to  power  it  means  the  triumph  of  Krugerism 
in  the  Colony,  and  it  means  also  the  development  of  a 
line  of  policy  tremendously  hostile  to  the  North.  Well, 
we  can  break  loose,  for  we  are  in  no  sense  dependent  on 
the  South,  but  your  case  Is  very  different.    You  recognise 


236  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

that  the  tie  with  the  North  is  a  growing  one,  and  to 
you,  in  this  part  of  the  country,  it  means  a  great  deal. 
You  have  lost  a  large  portion  of  your  cattle,  but  these 
will  be  renewed,  and  there  is  a  daily  intercourse  going 
on  between  yourselves  and  the  people  of  the  North, 
in  which  lies  the  best  hope  for  the  future.  Well,  gen- 
tlemen, let  me  repeat  to-day  that  it  is  the  firm  and  settled 
policy  of  the  party  of  progress  to  strengthen  those  ties 
in  every  possible  way.  (Cheers.)  Many  of  you  will 
some  day  proceed  to  the  North,  at  the  same  time  keeping 
your  tie  with  the  South.  Will  you  on  Monday  next 
declare  that  the  policy  of  the  Progressives  is  the  right 
one,  or  do  you  believe  in  that  alternative  policy  of  the 
separation  of  the  North  from  the  South  which  must  ensue 
upon  a  policy  of  hostile  and  provocative  tariffs?  That 
is  the  issue  which  I  want  you  by  your  votes  to  decide, 
and  I  believe  that  you  will  give  your  answer  with  no 
uncertain  voice  in  support  of  the  policy  of  the  Pro- 
gressive party.  And  I  believe  that  were  it  not  for  that 
wretched,  miserable  race-feeling  which  has  been  imported 
into  this  contest,  the  whole  of  this  territory  to  a  man 
would  join  with  you  in  an  unanimous  verdict.  (Cheers.) 
But  owing  to  the  machinations  of  those  party  leaders  who 
have  appealed,  only  too  successfully,  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  people,  and  stirred  up  a  hostile  feeling  between  the 
English  and  the  Dutch,  a  large  section  of  the  electors 
have  been  blinded  to  the  real  issue.  (Cheers.)  Well, 
I  trust  that  the  people  of  this  constituency  at  all  events 
will  face  the  situation  fairly,  and  especially  would  I  im- 
press upon  them  that  it  is  really  very  important  which 
way  they  decide.  Your  two  members  may  make  all  the 
difference,   and  upon  your  choice  may  depend  whether 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  237 

the  party  of  progress  shall  be  returned  to  power,  or 
whether  a  new  Ministry  shall  be  installed  in  office  with 
whom  the  interests  of  the  Transvaal  Republic  shall  be 
first  and  paramount.  (Cheers.)  Well,  gentlemen, 
I  have  detained  you  longer  than  I  anticipated  in  my 
anxiety  to  place  the  real  issue  clearly  before  you.  I  thank 
you  once  more  for  your  cordial  greeting.  I  regard  it  as 
a  token  of  your  recognition  of  my  efforts  long  ago,  when 
I  was  largely  instrumental  in  making  this  territory  a 
portion  of  the  Cape  Colony.  Looking  at  your  faces  I 
feel  sure  that  you  do  emphatically  prefer  Her  Majesty's 
rule  to  that  of  any  other  power.'       (Loud  cheers.)" 

Three  cheers  were  given  for  the  Queen,  followed  by 
a  fresh  outbreak  of  acclamation  as  Mr.  Rhodes  resumed 
his  seat  In  the  train. 

At  Vryburg  where  he  received  a  vote  of  confidence, 
both  proposer  and  seconder  being  Dutch,  Rhodes 
declared  that  Kruger  was  the  greatest  Raider  in  Africa. 

On  6th  September  I  find  Rhodes  back  at  Kimberley, 
sending  the  following  cable  message  to  General  Kitche- 
ner: ''Glad  you  beat  the  Khalifa.  We  have  just  finished 
our  elections  and  result  promises  to  be  a  tie.  I  hear 
Frank  is  wounded.  They  certainly  should  now  restore 
his  commission;  his  heart  is  set  on  it.  My  telegraph 
will  shortly  be  at  south  end  of  Tanganyika.  If  you 
don't  look  sharp,  in  spite  of  your  victory,  I  shall  reach 
Uganda  before  you." 

To  this  he  received  the  following  reply: — 

"Omdurmax,  26  September,   1898. 
''From  Sirdar  to  Rhodes,  Groote  Schuiir. 

"Thanks.  Frank  well.  Reinstated.  My  southern 
station  Sobat.     Hurry  up." 


238  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Rhodes,  amid  all  his  great  enterprises,  did  not  over- 
look minor  matters  of  sentiment.  I  find  him  writing 
this  year  to  a  far-off  official  in  North  Eastern  Rhodesia 
offering  to  pay  for  the  upkeep  of  the  lonely  grave  of 
"Roza"  (his  brother  Herbert),  near  the  Shire  River, 
and  receiving  the  reply  that  an  old  native  headman,  who 
knew  him,  saw  to  it  and  would  accept  no  reward. 

Some  few  extracts  from  his  election  speeches  may 
be  preserved  from  the  scrap  heap  to  which  all  such 
ephemeral  literature  ultimately  goes. 

In  several  passages  he  described  his  past  work — his 
prevention  of  German  and  Krugerian  extension,  and  his 
schemes  for  Afrikander  union.  In  this  connection  he 
said:  "If  it  had  not  been  my  good  fortune  to  think  of 
those  questions  while  looking  for  diamonds,  there  is  not 
the  slightest  doubt  that  these  territories  would  have 
passed  to  other  European  Powers.  I  do  not  claim  any 
credit — I  simply  say  that  they  were  the  thoughts  that 
came  to  me — that  is  all.  You  may  discover  the  microbe 
of  the  rinderpest,  but  I  defy  you  ever  to  find  the  microbe 
of  the  human  imagination.  You  do  not  know  where 
it  comes  from,  but  It  comes  and  the  thoughts  come,  and 
you  are  moved  as  a  human  atom  to  carry  out  those 
thoughts;  and  all  that  I  can  say  is  that  before  and  during 
the  period  when  I  was  your  Prime  Minister  these 
thoughts  came  to  me,  though  later,  gentlemen,  changes 
have  been  brought  about  owing  to  my  own  fault.  I 
lost  my  position  through  my  acts,  but  I  am  now  simply 
putting  this  to  you  that,  during  the  period  while  I  had 
the  responsibility,  and  questions  occurred  which  I  dealt 
with,  I  think  that  I  dealt  fairly  with  them,  and  long, 
long  after  you  and  I  are  dead  I  think  history  will  say 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  239 

that  certain  big  questions  were  dealt  with  by  me  for 
the  benefit  of  the  country  at  large." 

In  connection  with  a  discussion  on  the  value  of 
Rhodesia,  Rhodes  said:  "Any  farmer  in  asking  him 
(Rhodes)  about  the  country  would  ask  if  there  were 
many  natives,  and  if  he  replied,  'Yes,'  the  farmer  would 
say  that  it  was  a  good  country.  The  natives  had  always 
selected  the  best  land,  and  here  he  would  like  to  relate 
a  charming  story  of  the  member  for  Piquetberg  (Mr.  D. 
C.  de  Waal).  Mr.  de  Waal's  people  were  abusing  him 
for  having  anything  to  do  with  him  (Rhodes),  but  he 
replied,  'You  know  that  Rhodes  has  taken  a  country 
twice  as  big  as  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  we  shall 
get  that.  So  far  as  Rhodes  is  concerned,  he  will  only 
get  six  feet  by  four.'  "      (Laughter.) 

In  even  lighter  vein  he  remarked,  "Once,  as  you  know, 
Messrs.  Merriman,  Sauer  and  myself  were  all  in  the 
Cabinet,  and  we  used  to  have  a  good  deal  of  chaff  to- 
gether. Mr.  Merriman  had  a  way  of  giving  nicknames 
to  everybody.  I  was  called  'the  young  burgher,'  because 
at  a  banquet  in  Johannesburg,  at  which  Kruger  was 
present,  when  some  one — I  think  it  was  the  then  Minister 
of  Mines — had  been  talking  a  great  deal  about  the  old 
burghers,  I  said,  in  reply,  that  for  my  part  I  was  a  young 
burgher.  (Laughter.)  Mr.  Sauer's  name  was  'the 
humbler.'  (Loud  laughter.)  Why  he  was  called  'the 
humbler'  I  hardly  know — (laughter) — but  I  think  Mr. 
Merriman  must  have  invented  the  name  for  him  because 
he  was  sometimes  so  mixed  that  he  did  not  know  his 
own  politics.  At  all  events  he  has  remained  'the  humbler' 
down  to  the  present  day.  (Loud  laughter.)  But  I 
think  the  most  amusing  nickname  of  all  was  the  one  Mr. 


240  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Merrlman  fastened  on  to  his  present  friend  Mr.  Hof- 
meyr.  I  remember  that  he  always  used  to  say  'How  is 
the  Mole  to-day?'  It  struck  me  as  rather  a  happy 
invention,  so  one  day  I  inquired  from  Mr.  Merriman 
what  he  meant.  'Oh!'  he  exclaimed,  'I  call  him  the 
Mole,  because  you  never  see  him,  but  you  know  he  is 
somewhere  near;  there  is  a  little  heap  of  ground  thrown 
up  which  tells  you  he  has  been  there,  but  you  never  see 
him.'  (Loud  laughter.)  There  is  a  good  deal  of 
thought  in  that  one  word,  because  if  a  party  has  ideas  it 
should  have  a  leader,  and  that  leader,  instead  of  burrow- 
ing underground  like  the  mole,  should  appear  on  the  sur- 
face, so  that  you  may  hear  the  language  and  arguments 
with  which  he  is  prepared  to  support  his  position  as  the 
leader  of  his  party." 

And  this  is  perhaps  new:^ — 

"I  honestly  believe  that  my  years  of  trouble  have 
made  me  a  better  man.  I  had  had  a  life  of  uninter- 
rupted success,  and  then  I  had  two  years  of  considerable 
trouble,  and  I  found,  if  I  might  put  it  to  you  personally, 
that  I  had  an  individuality  that  could  stand  trouble.  I 
can  tell  you  a  rather  good  story.  When  I  was  pro- 
ceeding from  Salisbury  to  Bulawayo  I  was  continually 
receiving  telegrams  from  a  gentleman  who  came  from 
Mr.  Farrar,  then  in  gaol,  stating  that  he  had  a  most  im- 
portant message  for  me.  This  went  on  for  some  time, 
while  the  fighting  was  going  on  in  the  North.  Ulti- 
mately I  met  him,  and  he  gave  me  the  message.  It  was 
this:  'Don't  bother  about  me.  Do  your  work.  I  have 
found  out  one  thing — that  there  are  those  who  are  men 
and  those  who  are  monkeys.'  (Loud  laughter.)  I  don't 
know  under  which  of  these  he  placed  me,  but  I  do  say 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  241 

that  my  two  years  of  trouble  have  made  me  a  better  man 

—  (cheers) — and  I   am   determined  to   go   on  with  my 
work,  the  work  of  forming  a  railway  junction  with  Egypt 

—  (loud  cheers) — and  the  work  of  closer  union  in  South 
Africa."     (Renewed  cheers.) 

On  17th  September  Rhodes  addressed  the  electors  of 
Port  Elizabeth,  where  he  met  with  a  great  and  generous 
reception.  He  judged  It  necessary  to  speak  plainly,  as 
the  domination  of  Kruger  in  the  politics  of  the  Cape 
Colony  had  been  naked  and  unashamed.  The  following 
is  an  extract  from  the  Times: — 

'T  will  admit  this — that  there  is  one  just  complaint 
against  me — the  unfortunate  incident  in  the  Transvaal. 
But  if  you  go  into  details  it  will  be  brought  home  to 
you  in  the  clearest  light  that  the  coming  Prime  Minister 
(Schreiner)  once  felt  that  the  conduct  of  the  Transvaal 
Government  was  so  hopelessly  bad  that  he  was  prepared 
to  go  to  war  with  them — (cheers) — and  that  the  coming 
Commissioner  for  Public  Works  (Mr.  Merriman)  had 
encouraged  the  people  in  Johannesburg  to  fight  the  ques- 
tion out,  expressing  the  hope  that  they  had  no  corns  on 
their  hands.  (Laughter  and  cheers.)  Well,  that  was 
the  position.  Two  members  of  the  coming  Ministry 
were  equally  desirous  that  Kruger  should  either  change 
or  disappear.  On  hearing  this  the  Dutch  people 
naturally  said,  'Well,  then,  what  are  we  fighting  with 
Rhodes  about?  (Cheers.)  At  any  rate  Rhodes  has 
given  us  a  new  country,  where  our  people  can  live  on 
equal  terms  and  with  equal  rights;  why  should  we  drive 
this  man  out  of  the  country  and  put  in  a  Bond  Ministry, 
two  of  the  members  of  which  are  equally  desirous  that 
Kruger  should  disappear,  one  stating  it  openly  and  the 


242  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

other  stating  it  by  means  of  confidential  communications?' 
(Cheers  and  laughter.) 

*'Now  one  of  the  accusations  made  against  me — and 
made  even  by  my  friends — is  that  I  have  no  right  to 
interfere  with  Port  Elizabeth  in  the  present  election. 
I  will  put  to  you  the  case  very  fairly.  After  consider- 
able thought  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  in  our 
politics,  with  the  points  before  us,  there  is  no  room 
for  three  parties — (cheers) — that  it  will  take  us  all  our 
time  to  beat  Krugerism,  which  I  have  already  described 
as  Afrikanderism  upon  the  basis  of  the  Transvaal — 
(cheers) —  which  simply  makes  difference  between  those 
who  are  born  here  and  those  who  come  here.  We  can 
see  no  difference.  (Loud  cheers.)  That  is  what  we 
are  fighting,  and  we  cannot  afford  to  have  a  third  party. 
(Cheers.) 

"What  is  your  great  desire?  (Several  cries  of 
'Progress.')  Yes,  progress,  and  that  you  should  be 
properly  represented  in  Parliament  for  progress.  (Loud 
cheers.)  Your  desire  is  that  you  should  have  proper 
representation  in  your  councils,  so  that  you  will  progress, 
and  lead  the  Dutch — the  progressive  Dutch — to  go 
with  you.  (Loud  cheers.)  Now  let  us  look  at  last 
session.  We  had  the  Redistribution  Bill,  which  was 
carried. 

"As  soon  as  it  was  carried  the  leader  of  the 
Bond  in  the  House,  Mr.  Schreiner,  found  out  that  some 
of  the  Independents  did  not  like  the  Government.  They 
said  that  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  was  this  and  that  Sir  James 
Sivewright  was  that,  and  so  he  put  forward  a  motion 
of  no  confidence.  He  carried  it  and  by  what  vote? 
By  the  vote  of  the  Independents — (cheers) — by  the  votes 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  243 

of  Mr.  Hay,  Mr.  Wiener,  Mr.  Solomon,  Mr.  Beard 
and  Mr.  Molteno;  In  fact,  all  the  Independents  except 
their  leader.  (Cheers  and  laughter.)  Just  look  at  my 
point.  You  had  your  chance  of  proper  representation 
In  Parliament,  and  the  Bill  was  actually  carried,  where- 
upon the  Independents  voted  'No  confidence,'  and  now 
we  are  fighting  the  election  over  It.  And  suppose  that 
we  are  beaten,  you  will  be  without  your  proper  repre- 
sentation for  the  next  five  years,  and  to  whom  do  you 
owe  this  position?  To  the  Independents  again. 
(Cheers.)  I  can  respect  your  Bondsmen,  and  I  can  fight 
your  Bondsmen.  (Loud  and  prolonged  cheers.)  I  am 
a  Progressive — with  the  Progressive  party — (renewed 
cheers) — and  I  am  going  to  fight  on  their  side  whatever 
my  position  may  be.  (Loud  and  prolonged  cheers.)  But 
these  Independents!  I  cannot  stand  them.  (Cheers 
and  laughter.)  But  I  know  exactly  what  Is  going  to 
happen,  and  I  am  going  to  make  a  prophecy.  I  only 
hope  that  the  Independent  here  is  not  going  to  be 
returned.  (Cheers,  and  voices  'No  fear.')  Well,  the 
number  of  them  is  small,  and  they  are  going  to  end  In 
the  arms  of  the  Bond.  (Cheers  and  laughter.)  That 
Is  my  prophecy.  Of  course  they  will  give  all  sorts  of 
reasons  for  their  attitude.  They  will  say  that  they  are 
going  to  hold  the  balance  between  the  two  races;  that 
they  are  going  to  avert  bloodshed.  But  how  absurd  all 
this  is.  I  have  been  amongst  the  Dutch  people,  and  I 
know  there  is  not  the  slightest  desire  for  bloodshed.  All 
this  comes  from  Camp  Street;  that  is  where  all  this  talk 
comes  from.  (Loud  cheers.)  Why,  the  country  people, 
the  Dutch  people,  have  not  the  slightest  Idea  of  it. 
(Cheers.)      They  say  with  regard  to  the  Transvaal — 


244  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  Progressive  Dutch  say — they  want  a  change  In  the 
conduct  of  the  Transvaal  as  much  as  we  do.  (Loud 
cheers.)  But  the  Independents  are  to  hold  the  balance, 
though  I  am  not  at  all  sure  that  we  will  not  find  the  old 
gentleman  in  Camp  Street  (Hofmeyr)  will  hold  the 
balance.  I  have  marked  them  down  in  that  character, 
and  every  Independent  I  place  a  cross  against,  meaning 
that  whenever  the  contest  is  over  we  can  count  them  as 
with  the  Bond.  I  know  that  you  are  all  strong  in  the 
hope  that  the  Progressive  party  may  win.  (Loud  and 
prolonged  cheers.)  You  need  not  think  that  I  have  in- 
dulged in  this  speech  against  Independents  without  due 
thought.  When  I  look  back  and  see  that  they  have 
wrecked  the  principle  of  redistribution;  when  I  know  that 
they,  and  especially  your  member — (groans) — nearly 
upset  the  railway  to  the  North,  and  kept  you  out  of  com- 
munication for  a  whole  year,  I  think  I  have  a  right  to 
speak.  (Loud  cheers.)  I  am  not  afraid  of  the  Bond 
party.  (Cheers.)  Day  by  day  I  have  gone  amongst 
the  Dutchmen  in  many  parts  of  the  Colony,  and  have 
found  that  they  are  with  me — (loud  cheers) — and  I 
know  I  can  work  with  them  again.  (Renewed  cheering.) 
But  I  know  we  have  to  defeat  Krugerism  as  applied 
to  this  Colony.  (Cheers.)  That  is  the  idea,  to  keep 
the  power  in  the  hands  of  a  few  people  subservient  to 
the  power  in  Camp  Street,  and  that  is  what  we  are 
fighting  in  this  election.  (Cheers.)  And  we  are  going  to 
win."     (Loud  and  prolonged  cheering.) 

He  concluded  by  saying,  "There  is  another  very  big 
question — ^an  approaching  question — the  question  of 
union,  or  South  African  federation.  (Loud  cheers.) 
That  federation  is  very  close.      By  federation  I  mean 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  245 

that  the  native  question,  the  laws  and  the  railways  should 
be  dealt  with  together.  Local  questions  should  be  dealt 
with  by  the  local  States.  The  solution  does  not  rest 
with  me;  It  Is  being  discussed  elsewhere  to-night.  If 
we  could  look  to-night  Into  the  various  mining  camps 
hundreds  of  miles  away,  we  should  see  strong  men 
returning  from  their  daily  toil.  On  them  depends  feder- 
ation. (Cheers.)  If  that  country  Is  rich,  the  prize  of 
Africa  will  be  the  North.  (Loud  cheers.)  If  you  will 
not  have  it.  Natal  will  federate  to-morrow;  and  I  can 
state  here  that  if  I  am  driven  away  by  a  Bond  Ministry 
under  Hofmeyr  management,  I  shall  turn  my  thoughts  to 
Natal.  I  am  determined  to  have  union.  (Cheers.) 
Some  people  say,  'But  how  about  the  Transvaal,  situated 
as  It  Is  between  the  Colony,  Natal  and  the  North?'  I 
do  not  consider  the  Transvaal  of  to-day.  I  am  thinking 
of  the  next  twenty-five  years  when  the  new  population 
must  have  a  position.  If  we  get  Natal  the  other  States 
must  fall  In.  (Cheers.)  Now  you  are  beginning  to  fol- 
low my  thought.  The  question  is :  Will  the  Cape,  by  its 
own  conduct,  be  left  out  in  the  cold?  ('No,  no.')  The 
people  In  the  North  are  not  going  to  have  any  feeling 
for  a  State  In  the  South  which  is  not  necessary  to  them, 
and  which  is  dominated  by  the  tactics  of  the  Bond. 
Assume  that  a  Bond  Ministry  gets  into  power.  In  your 
responsible  position  I  talk  to  you  boldly.  I  must  speak 
out.  (Cheers.)  I  see  the  danger  that  is  coming.  My 
North  Is  all  right.  No  human  beings  could  have  better 
prospects.  Five  hundred  thousand  miles  of  territory 
with  a  loyal  people.  (Cheers.)  You  might  fairly  say, 
'Why  don't  you  go  there?'  I  will  tell  you  why.  I  am 
determined  not  to  leave  the  South  till  I  see  you  are  clear 


246  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

of  the  risk  of  being  dominated  by  Krugerism."  (Loud 
cheers.) 

The  Bond,  while  perfecting  their  own  political  organ- 
isation, deeply  resented  the  attempt  of  their  political 
opponents  to  do  the  same.  Mr.  Schreiner,  elected  by 
Bond  support,  permitted  himself  to  use  language  which 
even  a  general  election  hardly  justifies.  In  his  address 
of  thanks  he  exclaimed,  "You  have  shown  by  placing 
us  closely  together  by  a  very  large  majority  at  the  head 
of  the  poll — an  exceptionally  heavy  one — that,  while  you 
condemn  the  false  doctrine  that  the  intrusion  of  unjus- 
tified force  provides  a  satisfactory  remedy  for  tardy 
growth  of  enlightened  political  institutions,  you  equally 
condemn  the  more  insidious  doctrine  that,  under  the  cloak 
of  constitutional  methods,  capital  perverted  from  its 
proper  uses  may  hope  to  succeed  in  attaining  objects 
which  conspiracy  and  violence  have  failed  to  compass." 

A  large  discount  must  of  course  be  deducted  from 
election  oratory  of  this  nature. 

As  Mr.  Edward  Dicey  said  of  Rhodes  in  the  Fort- 
nightly Review  of  October,  1898,  "His  support  of  the 
Uitlanders  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  criminal  offence," 
so  It  may  be  said  of  his  support  of  his  party  at  the  polls. 

When  the  elections  were  over  it  was  clear  that  parties 
were  very  evenly  balanced.  Several  prominent  members 
lost  their  seats,  and  numerous  petitions  were  lodged 
against  the  return  of  others.  The  first  session  of  the  new 
Parliament  met  on  7th  October  and  elected  a  Speaker 
in  the  person  of  Dr.  Berry,  the  Progressives  thus  weaken- 
ing their  available  number  by  one.  The  House  met 
again  on  loth  October  for  the  transaction  of  business, 
when   Schreiner  promptly  moved  a   fresh  vote  of   "No 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  247 

confidence."  Several  moderate  Dutchmen  were  at  the 
outset  inclined  to  the  policy  of  giving  the  Government  a 
fair  trial,  but  Mr.  Innes  refused  to  be  a  party  to  the 
arrangement,  and  the  fate  of  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  was 
sealed. 

The  debate  was  over  in  an  hour,  Schreiner  being 
almost  the  only  speaker  and  Sprigg  disdaining  to  reply. 
One  Bond  and  One  Progressive  member  were  absent, 
but  otherwise  it  was  a  full  House  and  the  Government 
were  defeated  by  thirty-nine  to  thirty-seven,  Rhodes,  of 
course,  voting  with  his  party.  The  Progressives  still 
possessed  a  small  nominal  majority  in  the  Legislative 
Council,  but  Sprigg  resigned  without  delay,  although 
some  of  his  followers  were  for  fighting  in  the  last  ditch 
by  forcing  the  Opposition  to  refuse  supply. 

The  local  press  was  severe  on  Innes  for  deserting  his 
uncle,  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg,  and  reminded  him  of  Lincoln's 
sage  advice  not  to  swap  horses  while  crossing  a  stream, 
Schreiner  had  some  difficulty  in  forming  a  Cabinet,  and 
the  inclusion  of  Mr.  R.  Solomon  as  Attorney-General, 
fulfilled  the  cynical  comment  made  by  Rhodes  that  every 
Independent  was  a  Bondsman  at  heart. 

The  Times  asserted  that  Hofmeyr  was  the  real  head 
of  the  Ministry,  and  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette  asked  how 
long  Schreiner  would  last  against  Rhodes  in  one  House 
and  a  hostile  majority  in  the  other.  History  has 
answered  the  query.  The  Ministry  lasted  for  twenty 
unhappy  months,  and  would  not  have  lasted  ten  had 
Rhodes  not  been  locked  up  in  Kimberley. 

On  17th  October  the  new  Premier  made  a  statement 
of  policy,  to  which  Rhodes  gave  an  energetic  reply.  A 
Redistribution  Bill  was  promised,  so  as  not  to  break  faith 


248  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

with  the  Resolution  of  the  previous  Parliament,  but  It 
was  speedily  apparent  that  it  was  intended  to  be  an 
illusory  measure,  adding  to  the  size  of  the  House,  but 
not  redressing  admitted  inequalities.  On  19th,  and  again 
on  27th  October,  there  were  unusually  stormy  scenes 
in  the  House  over  this  measure.  Rhodes  again  spoke 
and  at  his  suggestion  supply  was  refused.  On  25th 
October  he  addressed  an  immense  meeting  in  Cape  Town, 
and  urged  the  absolute  necessity  for  a  better  representa- 
tion of  the  people.  It  was  a  good  fighting  speech  and 
enthusiastically  received. 

Four  days  later  Schreiner,  unable  to  carry  any  Bill 
that  would  not  benefit  the  other  side,  foreshadowed  the 
postponement  of  the  measure  till  a  future  session, 
remarking  that  he  was  no  believer  In  "government  by 
counting  heads."  On  2nd  November,  when,  in  accord- 
ance with  this  policy,  he  moved  to  adjourn  the  debate, 
the  voting  was  thirty-nine  to  thirty-nine,  and  the  Ministry 
were  only  saved  by  the  Speaker's  casting  vote. 

By  the  irony  of  fate  this,  of  all  days,  was  the  day 
when  the  Governor  and  High  Commissioner,  in  response 
to  a  request  from  Her  Majesty's  Government,  sailed  for 
England  in  the  Scot,  leaving  behind  him  an  excited 
Parliament,  a  discredited  Ministry,  and  great  and  gen- 
eral public  uneasiness.  The  position  of  Transvaal  affairs 
must,  indeed,  have  been  critical  to  warrant  his  enforced 
absence  at  this  juncture.  Two  days  later,  a  proposal 
was  made  for  a  conference  between  leaders.  Schreiner 
opposed,  a  tie  was  again  the  result,  and  this  time  the 
Speaker  decided  against  the  Government,  and  the  Motion 
was  carried. 

On  7th  November  the  Premier  asked  for  a  vote  on 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  249 

Supply  before  the  Conference,  but  Rhodes  was  Inexor- 
able, and  Schreiner  submitted.  In  the  end,  the  Confer- 
ence was  held  and  an  agreement  reached,  which  was 
estimated  to  add  nine  Progressive  and  five  Bond  members 
to  the  House.  No  wonder  that  South  Africa  declared 
that  Ministers  "were  In  office  on  sufferance";  Indeed, 
on  a  question  relating  to  the  Ocean  Mall  Service,  they 
were  beaten  on  nth  November  by  thirty-nine  to  thirty- 
six. 

On  2 1  St  November  Rhodes  made  an  excellent  speech, 
mainly  on  non-party  lines,  taking  the  House  Into  his 
confidence  on  the  subject  of  Northern  expansion. 

On  25th  and  29th  November  there  were  angry  debates 
in  the  House  over  the  Meat  Duties  Bill,  Rhodes,  on 
the  latter  occasion,  being  present  and  speaking.  On  the 
question  that  the  debate  be  adjourned,  the  Government 
majority  was  only  two. 

On  2nd  December  the  Premier  endeavoured  to  rush 
a  Rhodeslan  Appellate  Jurisdiction  Bill  through  the 
House,  and  was  accused  hotly  by  Rhodes  of  wanting  in 
courtesy  in  not  previously  consulting  either  the  Rhodeslan 
Government  or  himself.  Innes,  on  this  occasion,  sup- 
ported him,  and  between  them,  after  a  warm  debate, 
they  forced  the  Premier  to  agree,  though  with  a  bad 
grace,  to  report  progress.  The  debate  was  resumed  on 
5th  December,  when  Rhodes,  who  was  still  sore, 
remarked,  "The  position  taken  up  by  the  Prime  Minister 
is  such  that  it  Is  hopeless  to  expect  from  him  any  con- 
sideration for  the  Territories  with  which  I  am  con- 
nected." 

The  same  day  on  the  Meat  Duties  Bill  the  Govern- 
ment,  on  a  division,   could  only  muster  thirty-six   sup- 


250  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

porters  to  thirty-six  on  the  other  side,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  they  were  actually  defeated,  the  votes  being 
thirty-seven  to  thirty-six,  Rhodes  voting  with  the 
majority. 

On  several  subsequent  days  an  examination  of  Han- 
sard shows  that  Rhodes  was  in  attendance,  and  on  15th 
December  he  brought  forward  an  important  Motion  for 
the  prosecution  of  Irrigation  Works,  which  Schreinef 
at  first  resisted,  but,  later,  on  his  agreeing  to  introduce 
a  Bill  during  the  ensuing  session,  the  Motion  was  with- 
drawn. 

Rhodes's  speech  exhibited  his  far-sighted  grasp 
of  the  most  essential  problem  then  and  now  facing  the 
Cape  Colony — the  vital  necessity  for  the  conservation 
of  water;  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  this  is  the  last  occasion 
on  which  he  addressed  the  House  during  the  session. 

On  19th  December,  on  a  question  of  reducing  by 
£100,000  a  vote  for  the  Table  Bay  Harbour  Works,  the 
Government  were  defeated  by  thirty-two  to  twenty-eight, 
and  four  days  later  Parliament  was  prorogued  by  the 
Acting  Administrator,  leaving  the  Government  battered 
and  shaken,  and  apparently  unable  to  carry  any  con- 
tentious business. 

Before  Parliament  finally  rose,  Rhodes,  having  pre- 
sented the  city  of  Cape  Town  with  a  fine  statue  of  Van 
RIebeeck,  the  first  Dutch  Governor,  and  completed  his 
scheme  for  planting  a  settlement  of  loyal  Fingoes  In 
Rhodesia,  with  ten  acres  of  land  for  every  adult  male, 
proceeded  to  Kimberley.  There  he  applied  himself  to 
the  selection  of  candidates  for  the  new  seats  In  the 
Assembly,  and  to  preparing  his  defence  to  an  election 
petition  raised  against  his  own  return. 


A  STRENUOUS  YEAR  251 

On  19th  December,  he  presided  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  De  Beers  Mines,  and  on  28th  of  the  same  month 
he  again  sailed  for  England  in  the  mail  steamer,  arriv- 
ing there  on  14th  January,  1899. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY  (1899) 

Importation  of  arms — Rhodes  not  a  believer  in  war — Rhodes  busy  in 
London — Visits  Egypt — Interview  with  the  Kaiser  at  Berlin — 
Arrangements  arrived  at — Interview  with  King  of  the  Belgians — 
Made  D.C.L.  by  Oxford — Attends  Chartered  meeting — Overflow 
meeting — Rhodes  back  in  Cape  Town — Public  addresses — House  of 
Assembly  —  Rhodes  speaks  repeatedly  —  Growing  uneasiness  — 
Heated  political  debates — Renewed  importation  of  arms — Exodus 
from  the  Rand — Cape  Government  weak  and  vacillating — Parlia- 
ment dismissed. 

Towards  the  close  of  1898  and  partly  as  a  result  of 
the  overthrow  of  the  Progressive  Ministry  at  the  Cape, 
affairs  in  the  Transvaal  went  from  bad  to  worse.  The 
Boers  were  now  fully  armed,  and  with  rifles  to  spare 
for  outside  friends.  No  less  than  147,000  Mauser  rifles 
passed  into  the  Republic  in  one  year  via  Delagoa  Bay 
(E.  T.  Cook),  and  on  28th  December  a  Dutch  paper, 
De  Rand  Post,  openly  advocated  the  shooting  down 
of  all  critics  of  the  Government.  The  anxieties  and 
responsibilities  of  the  High  Commissioner,  advised  as 
he  was  by  a  Bond  Government  at  the  Cape,  became 
overwhelming.  A  vast  majority  of  Colonists  now  be- 
lieved war  to  be  inevitable,  and  it  has  always  been  an 
unexplained  problem  why  Rhodes  himself  continued  to 
express  a  contrary  view — a  view  he  backed  with  his 
money,  and  lost. 

A  then   Cabinet  Minister  writes  to  me,   "It  was  in 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY     253 

the  year  of  the  war,  Rhodes  and  I  met  at  Windsor  on 
the  occasion  of  the  Royal  County  Show.  We  returned 
to  London  by  the  same  train,  and  while  the  train  was 
getting  ready  we  walked  up  and  down  the  platform 
together.  Rhodes  suddenly  stopped,  turned  round  and 
looked  me  in  the  face,  and  said,  'How  much  longer 
are  you  men  (meaning  the  Cabinet  of  which  I  was  a 
member)  going  to  allow  Kruger  to  humbug  you?  He 
is  only  bluffing,  and  if  you  were  to  employ  your  troops 
you  could  undoubtedly  bring  him  to  subjection.'  This 
is  interesting,  as  showing  how  little  even  he  realised  how 
serious  the  war  would  be." 

In  a  cablegram  to  Beit  (undated,  but  apparently 
despatched  during  1899)  he  said,  inter  alia,  "Kruger 
will  yield  everything  the  Home  Government  demand. 
The  Cape  Ministry  are  sitting  tight.  Our  party  will 
leave  them  alone  as  long  as  they  leave  the  Governor 
alone,  which  I  think  is  their  policy.  The  Government 
are  entirely  in  our  hands,  as  we  have  a  majority  in  the 
Legislative  Council  pledged  to  do  as  we  require.  We 
can  even  throw  out  Estimates  in  the  Council,  and  the 
Government  are  not  at  all  sure  of  the  effect  of  another 
appeal  to  the  country,  as  we  have  improved  our  position 
on  registration.  Remember  that  Kruger,  if  the  Home 
Government  are  firm,  will  in  the  end  give  way.  All 
they  need  do  is  to  continue  preparations  as  openly  as 
possible.      Nothing  will  make  Kruger  fire  a  shot." 

This  fallacious  estimate  of  the  real  position  is  one 
of  the  curiosities  of  history,  but  it  was  deliberately  made 
and  must  here  be  recorded.  Many  influential  members 
of  Dutch  descent  were  undoubtedly  striving  for  peace. 
Ex-President  Reitz,  writing  to  me  on  loth  January,  said. 


254  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

"May  God  grant  your  prayer  for  the  growth  everywhere 
in  South  Africa  of  peace  and  goodwill.  With  His  help 
I  shall  strive  to  promote  brotherly  love  amongst  the 
different  national  elements  that  have  made  this  Land  of 
Good  Hope  their  home." 

Peace,  however,  was  not  to  be  had,  so  long  as  the 
sinister  figure  of  Dr.  Leyds  loomed  large  on  the  Euro- 
pean horizon.  His  visits  to  various  Chancelleries  will 
perhaps  some  day  afford  the  historian  material  for  an 
interesting  chapter. 

On  the  23rd  January  Rhodes  wrote  to  me  from  the 
Burlington  Hotel  that  the  whole  of  the  new  issue  of  the 
Chartered  Company  had  been  enormously  over-sub- 
scribed. He  was  less  successful,  however,  in  a  strenuous 
effort  he  made  to  induce  Her  Majesty's  Government  to 
give  a  financial  guarantee  for  the  further  prosecution  of 
the  Cape  to  Cairo  Railway — a  guarantee  which  would 
have  enabled  him  to  borrow  money  on  easy  terms.  It 
was  in  connection  with  this  abortive  negotiation  that  he 
always  subsequently  described  the  then  Chancellor  of  the 
Exchequer  as  a  man  of  no  imagination. 

A  private  correspondent  in  London  writing  to  me 
towards  the  end  of  January  remarked,  "Rhodes  is  in 
capital  form,  and  back  to  the  position  he  was  in  before 
the  Raid.  He  has  had  the  whole  story  about  Glad- 
stone, Rosebery  and  himself  republished,  which  I  regret, 
but  he  is  so  surrounded  by  people  ready  to  lick  his 
boots,  that  he  is  apt  to  have  his  better  judgment  warped. 
However,  he  is  a  great  man  and  all  will  come  right.  He 
has  settled  many  important  matters,  and  talks  of  going 
to  Egypt  next  month." 

The    Times   of   about   this   date   said  of  him,    "Mr. 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY     255 

Rhodes's  presence  in  England  Is  now  becoming  a  matter 
of  annual  recurrence.  Every  year,  when  the  prorogation 
of  the  Cape  Parliament  sets  the  local  politician  free,  the 
prosecution  of  larger  schemes  brings  the  statesman  to 
the  centre  of  the  Empire.  Each  visit  is  connected  with 
some  special  piece  of  work,  and  his  visit  this  year  Is  no 
exception  to  the  rule.  The  dream  of  a  complete  line 
of  British  communications  by  railway  and  telegraph 
through  Africa,  from  south  to  north,  which  ten  years  ago 
appeared  to  represent  the  imagination  of  a  visionary,  has 
by  the  late  events  in  the  valley  of  the  Nile  been  brought 
within  a  measurable  distance  of  realisation.  The  whole 
public  is  now  able  to  perceive  the  goal  at  which  Mr. 
Rhodes's  Imperial  ambition  aimed  when  ten  years  ago 
he  came  to  England  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a 
Royal  Charter  for  the  British  South  Africa  Company. 
He  told  his  friends  then  that  the  project  in  his  mind 
was  to  unite  South  Africa  locally  by  a  federation  of  the 
Colonies  and  States,  and  to  bind  the  federated  entity 
to  the  Empire  by  a  chain  of  British  communications  which 
should  stretch  unbroken  from  the  Cape  to  Cairo. 
Reverses,  obstacles  and  failures,  In  which  he  has  openly 
acknowledged  his  own  share  of  shortcoming,  have  but 
strengthened  his  determined  grip  upon  the  scheme  of 
his  life's  work.  All  is  not  done,  but  his  measure  of 
success  has  been  on  the  whole  remarkable.  The  end  has 
never  been  abandoned,  and  step  by  step  advance  is  made 
towards  its  attainment.  He  confidently  hopes  to  carry 
through  the  federation  of  the  British  States  of  South 
Africa  In  the  near  future,  and  the  chain  of  communica- 
tions by  which  the  federated  States  are  to  be  held  in 
touch    with    British    Influence    north    of    the    Equator 


256  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

approaches  by  practical  stages  to  its  completion." 
Early  In  February,  1899,  Rhodes  visited  Egypt,  and 
on  his  way  back  touched  at  Berlin  on  loth  March,  where, 
on  the  following  day,  he  was  received  by  the  Kaiser, 
with  whom  he  had  a  forty  minutes'  audience.  On  the 
evening  of  14th  March  he  dined  with  the  British  Ambas- 
sador at  the  Embassy,  both  the  Kaiser  and  Kalserin 
being  present,  and  on  the  following  day  an  agreement 
was  reached  on  the  subject  of  the  African  Transcon- 
tinental Telegraph  Company  which,  as  he  told  an  Inter- 
viewer, he  carried  away  In  his  pocket  signed  by  himself 
for  the  Company,  and  by  RIchthofen,  Von  Buchka  and 
Sydow  for  the  German  Government. 

I  Imagine  that  a  verbatim  report  of  the  Interview 
between  Rhodes  and  the  Emperor  will  never  see  the 
light  of  day,  but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  during 
their  conversation  the  Emperor  asked  for  his  opinion 
of  his  famous  "Kruger  telegram"  at  the  time  of  the 
Raid,  and  that  Rhodes  replied,  "I  will  tell  you,  your 
Majesty,  in  a  very  few  words.  It  was  the  greatest 
mistake  you  ever  made  In  your  life,  but  you  did  me  the 
best  turn  one  man  ever  did  another.  You  see,  I  was 
a  naughty  boy,  and  you  tried  to  whip  me.  Now,  my 
people  were  quite  ready  to  whip  me  for  being  a  naughty 
boy,  but  directly  you  did  It,  they  said,  'No,  if  this  Is 
anybody's  business.  It  is  ours.'  The  result  was  that  your 
Majesty  got  yourself  very  much  disliked  by  the  English 
people,  and  I  never  got  whipped  at  all!" 

Be  this  as  It  may,  Rhodes  came  away  with  a  vivid 
impression  of  the  Kaiser's  great  personality,  and  ever 
afterwards  spoke  of  him  with  respect  and  admiration, 
and  as  a  memento  of  the  visit  founded  scholarships  at 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY     257 

Oxford  for  German  students,  leaving  the  selection  en- 
tirely in  His  Majesty's  hands. 

A  correspondent  writes  to  me:  "At  a  visit  which  I 
paid  to  Sir  F.  Lascelles  In  April,  1899,  he  mentioned 
that  the  Emperor  was  delighted  with  Rhodes,  and  ex- 
pressed strong  regret  that  he  was  not  his  Prime  Minister, 
called  him  a  reasonable  man,  and  said  he  offered  every 
guarantee  before  it  was  required,  and  thus  left  nothing 
to  be  demanded.  He  added  that  he  was  in  favour  of 
according  Rhodes  hearty  support  In  his  scheme  for  carry- 
ing his  Cape  to  Cairo  line  across  German  territory,  but 
his  Ministers  could  not  rely  on  the  Reichstag,  which  was 
not  yet  permeated  by  an  Imperial  spirit." 

It  was  on  the  morning  after  this  dinner  that  Rhodes 
received  the  following  brief  note,  "Sir, — By  command 
of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  I  have  the  honour  to  send 
you  the  accompanying  portrait. — Platen." 

Finally,  however,  later  In  the  year,  an  agreement  was 
arrived  at  between  Germany  and  the  British  South  Africa 
Company,  dated  Berlin,  28th  October,  1899,  and  signed 
by  Von  Bulow.      The  terms  were  as  follows: — 

I.  In  the  event  of  the  Company  constructing  a  line  across 
its  western  boundary  or  through  Bechuanaland  at  any 
point  south  of  14th  degree  S.  latitude,  such  crossing  of 
the  boundary  shall  only  take  place  at  a  point  of  the  Brit- 
ish-German boundary  S.  of  the  degree  of  latitude  agreed 
upon:  so  that  the  continuation  of  the  Company's  railway 
system  to  the  West  African  coast,  S.  of  the  14th  degree, 
shall  always  pass  through  German  territory. 

2.  Germany  to  be  bound  to.  link  up  the  rails,  in  default  of 
which  the  Company  to  have  the  right  to  build  on  German 
territory  to  the  coast. 


258  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

3.  The  B.S.A.  Company  not  to  connect  with  the  coast  north 

of  the  14th  degree  S.  latitude  before  the  other  connection 
is  carried  out. 

4,  5.  Contain  provisions  for  a  transit  duty. 

Rhodes's  representative  in  Bulawayo  writes  to  me 
that  for  various  reasons  the  project  for  a  Dam  in  the 
Matopo  range  hung  fire  for  a  while,  but  he  adds,  "In 
February,  1899,  I  received  the  following  laconic  letter 
from  Mr.  Rhodes  from  the  Savoy  Hotel,  Cairo: — 

"  'Dear  Macdonald, — I  have  seen  what  water  can 
do  when  it  has  brains  and  energy  behind  it.  Begin  the 
Matopo  Dam  at  once.  This  letter  is  authority  for 
Michell  to  finance  you.  The  work  is  left  entirely  to 
you.  Begin  at  once  and  have  it  ready  for  next  season's 
rains.  We  must  not  let  any  floods  go  to  waste.  The 
contracts  are  left  to  you;  you  have  my  authority  to  go 
to  work  at  once.'  " 

While  on  the  Continent,  Rhodes  also  had  an  inter- 
view with  the  late  King  of  the  Belgians,  but  found  him 
an  impracticable  man  to  deal  with.  His  letter  to  an 
exalted  person,  describing  his  interviews  with  both 
monarchs,  would  make  interesting  reading  were  publica- 
tion permissible. 

On  his  return  to  England  Rhodes  saw  a  good  deal  of 
Lord  Kitchener,  of  whose  powers  of  organisation  he  held 
a  very  high  opinion.  They  were  in  the  habit  of  riding 
together  in  the  Park  of  a  morning,  and  in  the  month  of 
June  they  were  at  Oxford  together  receiving  their  D.C.L. 
Degree  amid  the  most  enthusiastic  scenes  on  the  part  of 
the  undergraduates. 

On  2nd  May  an  extraordinary  general  meeting  of  the 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY     259 

British  South  Africa  Company  was  held,  to  enable 
Rhodes  to  meet  the  shareholders  and  lay  before  them 
his  views  as  to  the  future  policy  and  prospects  of  the 
Company.  Shareholders  began  to  arrive  at  the  Cannon 
Street  Hotel  soon  after  seven  o'clock  In  the  morning, 
and  at  noon,  when  the  meeting  was  announced  to  be 
held,  there  was  not  a  vacant  seat  in  the  great  hall.  A 
large  force  of  the  City  police  were  In  attendance.  On 
the  arrival  of  the  directors,  headed  by  the  Duke  of  Aber- 
corn,  who  was  followed  by  Rhodes,  an  extraordinary 
demonstration  of  enthusiasm  occurred,  which  was  re- 
peated when  the  latter  rose  to  speak. 

In  his  opening  sentences  he  declared  that  just  before 
a  speech  such  as  he  was  about  to  make  and  to  such  a 
vast  audience,  he  was  the  most  unhappy  man  alive,  and 
could  feel  sympathy  with  those  of  our  forefathers  who, 
in  accordance  with  custom,  made  an  oration  on  the 
scaffold  just  prior  to  their  execution.  It  was  a  strange 
remark  if  we  remember  that,  although  he  lived  for 
another  three  years,  this  was  his  dying  speech  and  con- 
fession, for  he  was  never  able  to  address  his  shareholders 
again.  The  speech  will  be  found  In  "Vindex,"  and  I 
will  only  subjoin  the  following  extract  respecting  his 
recent  interview  with  the  Kaiser. 

"But  I  was  fortunate  In  this  through  the  kindness  of 
the  German  people — (cheers) — and  owing  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  German  Emperor,  who,  whatever  might  have 
been  his  feelings  in  the  past  as  to  certain  little  Incidents — 
(laughter) — which  resulted  very  unsatisfactorily  to  my- 
self—  (laughter) — and  which  he  deemed  it  right  to  cen- 
sure. Is  still  a  broad-minded  man.  (Hear,  hear.)  There- 
fore, when  It  came  to  the  question  of  the  development  of 


26o  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Africa,  and  when  I  appealed  to  him  in  connection  with  the 
portion  of  Africa  which  is  under  his  rule,  he  met  one 
with  a  breadth  of  mind  which  was  admirable,  and 
afforded  one  every  help  to  carry  out  one's  plans — 
(cheers) — while  duly  safeguarding  the  interests  of  his 
people.  I  signed  an  agreement  with  his  Minister  within 
three  days,  providing  for  the  telegraph  line  being  ex- 
tended throughout  his  territory,  and  though  at  the  end 
of  forty  years  the  line  passes  Into  the  possession  of  the 
Germans,  still  they  are  willing  to  maintain  our  through 
line  at  actual  cost.  (Cheers.)  It  was  a  most  just  bar- 
gain on  their  part,  because  the  custom  of  Europe  is  to 
levy  blackmail  in  connection  with  every  telegraph  that 
passes  through  it,  ably  assisted  by  those  of  our  own 
people  who  have  invested  their  money  in  tele- 
graphs. 

"You  may  have  noticed  that  Mr.  Henniker  Heaton  has 
moved  for  a  Committee  in  the  House  of  Commons  on 
this  question,  and  you  would  be  simply  appalled  at  the 
telegraph  charges  which  exist  in  the  world.  This  enor- 
mous monoply  has  risen  up,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that 
some  of  our  friends  in  the  House  of  Commons  are 
turning  their  attention  to  it.  But  in  connection  with  the 
agreement  I  have  mentioned,  the  German  Emperor 
charged  nothing  for  through  telegraphy  excepting  the 
cost  of  the  maintenance  of  the  line.  (Loud  cheers.)  I 
think  that  that  is  satisfactory,  especially  when  you  think 
that  a  few  years  ago  this  telegraph  in  Africa  was  con- 
sidered a  'wild-cat  scheme.'  (Laughter.)  It  is  no  wild- 
cat scheme  nowadays;  if  it  was,  I  am  sure  that  the  Ger- 
man Emperor  would  not  have  lent  himself  to  it.  The 
question,  however,  is  how  soon  will  it  be  completed,  and 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY     261 

I  think  it  will  be  three  years;  but  I  wish  to  point  out 
to  you  that  you  will  share  in  the  result  of  that  from  a 
mercantile  point  of  view,  while  the  limit  of  demand  on 
you  for  having  a  share  in  it  will  be  confined  to  that 
which  relates  to  your  own  territory." 

He  afterwards  dealt  thus  with  the  pregnant  lesson 
that  the  rich  but  misgoverned  Transvaal  could  not  bor- 
row money  in  Europe,  although  it  was  freely  obtained 
by  Rhodesia: 

"There  Is  a  neighbouring  State  to  us  producing 
£17,000,000  of  gold  per  annum;  and  what  has  it  been 
doing?  It  has  been  around  every  Bourse  in  Europe 
for  the  last  two  years  to  borrow  £2,000,000,  and  what 
Is  the  result?  That  It  cannot  do  It.  (Loud  cheers.) 
It  is  causing  unrest  in  Africa,  and  it  will  do  so  until  those 
people  who  have  been  invited  to  develop  the  wealth  of 
that  country  share  in  its  civil  rights.  (Cheers.)  There 
is  a  picture  for  you — a  picture  for  the  people  of  England. 
We,  a  small  and  new  State,  have  obtained  during  the  last 
seven  weeks — including  the  funds  necessary  for  adminis- 
tration, which  were  obtained  shortly  before  that — nearly 
£10,000,000,  while  our  friends  adjoining  us  producing 
£17,000,000  per  annum,  cannot  get  a  State  loan  of 
£2,000,000  anywhere.  Some  of  you  may  say  that  It  Is 
sentiment  with  us,  but  It  is  not  sentiment  with  Berlin  and 
Paris.  (Cheers.)  It  is  a  matter  of  practical  common- 
sense,  and  until  our  friends  have  changed  their  system 
they  will  not  get  European  money.     (Cheers.) 

"I  have  said  In  simple  language  that  the  duty  of 
our  people  Is  to  occupy  and  administer  new  territories, 
and  work  up  the  wealth  of  those  territories  and  distri- 
bute It  throughout  the  world.      I  think  that  we  have 


262  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

adopted  this  principle.  At  any  rate  we  have  obliga- 
tions in  every  part  of  the  world,  and  we  have  not  lost 
our  knack  of  administration.  I  can  remember  well  talk- 
ing to  Mr.  Gladstone  about  the  various  countries  we 
have  annexed,  and  he  said,  'My  fear  is  that  we  have 
not  the  people  to  administer  them.'  I  replied,  'There  is 
no  fear  of  that;  if  you  will  only  take  the  countries,  you 
will  find  people  who  are  capable  of  administering  them.' 
(Cheers.)  This  view  was  brought  home  to  me  only  the 
other  day.  I  went  to  Egypt,  where  there  are  8,000,000 
of  people  governed  by  one  man — Lord  Cromer. 
(Cheers.)  Civil  administration,  defence,  irrigation, 
justice,  he  has  to  attend  to  it  all,  and  in  connection  with 
all  he  is  equally  competent.  (Loud  cheers.)  We  have 
not  lost  our  capacity  for  administering  new  countries, 
especially  if  they  are  occupied  by  what  are  called  the 
subject  races." 

Rhodes  subsequently  found  it  imperative  to  address 
an  overflow  meeting  on  the  staircase  of  the  Hotel,  where 
he  was  received  with  the  same  enthusiasm,  and  had  to 
be  escorted  to  his  office  by  the  police,  the  crowd  showing 
no  disposition  to  melt  away,  thowgh  it  was  long  after 
the  usual  luncheon  hour  in  the  city. 

While  Rhodes  was  addressing  his  shareholders  in  Lon- 
don, the  High  Commissioner,  who  had  returned  to  Cape 
Town,  was  penning  his  famous  Despatch  of  4th  May, 
in  which  he  gave  a  masterly  presentation  of  the  serious 
grievances  of  British  subjects  in  the  Transvaal,  which 
led  up  to  the  Bloemfontein  Conference  (31st  May  to 
5th  June),  on  the  failure  of  which  war  became  inevit- 
able. 

Towards  the  end  of  June,  a  Kimberley  correspondent 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY      263 

Informed  me  that  there  was  an  uneasy  feeling  current 
there  as  to  coming  events,  and  that  De  Beers  Mines  were 
quietly  preparing  for  the  worst. 

About  the  same  date  a  Pretoria  correspondent  wrote 
that  the  situation  there  was  critical,  and  that  unless 
prominent  Afrikanders  like  Steyn,  Hofmeyr  and  Fischer, 
would  come  up  at  once  and  urge  moderation  on  the 
President,  a  struggle  was  bound  to  ensue. 

Meanwhile  Rhodes  returned  to  the  Cape  by  the 
steamer  Scot,  arriving  on  i8th  July.  During  the  voyage 
he  had  thought  much  on  his  Will,  and  its  Scholarship 
provisions,  and  addressed  a  letter  thereon  to  one  of  his 
friends,  who  was  subsequently  a  Trustee  of  his  Estate. 

On  20th  July  he  attended  a  mass  meeting  at  the 
Municipal  Hall,  Claremont,  when  he  received  addresses 
from  a  large  number  of  public  bodies.  His  speech 
covered  a  wide  range  and  dealt  with  all  the  great  South 
African  questions  of  the  day,  venturing  on  a  prophecy 
which  has  since  been  fulfilled,  that  the  moment  all  white 
Inhabitants  of  the  various  South  African  States  were 
granted  equal  rights  there  would  be  a  Federal  Union. 
Referring  to  the  Transvaal,  he  said,  "I  should  feel 
alarmed  If  the  Czar  were  moving  on  Pekin,  or  the 
French  on  the  Niger  territories  or  Fashoda,  but  when 
I  am  told  that  President  Kruger  Is  causing  trouble,  I 
cannot  really  think  about  it.  It  Is  too  ridiculous.  If 
you  tell  me  the  natives  of  Samoa  are  giving  anxiety  to 
H.  M.  Government,  then  I  will  discuss  the  proposition 
that  the  Transvaal  Is  a  danger  to  our  Empire." 

He  was  to  be  speedily  undeceived. 

On  14th  July  Parliament  had  been  opened  by  Sir 
Alfred  Mllner,  whose  address  was  noticeable  mainly  for 


264  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  fact  that  all  references  to  the  Transvaal  were  studi- 
ously omitted.  Four  days  later,  Sprigg  pointedly  In- 
quired whether  the  Government  proposed  to  submit  to 
the  House  any  motion  having  reference  to  the  situation 
of  affairs  in  the  South  African  Republic. 

Schreiner,  in  reply,  read  a  Resolution  of  the  House, 
dated  April,  1897,  to  the  effect  that  peace  could  best  be 
assured  by  the  reciprocal  observance  of  all  obligations 
under  Treaties,  Conventions,  and  other  agreements.  The 
answer  begged  the  question,  but  It  served  and  the  matter 
dropped. 

On  26th  July,  In  a  debate  on  the  Rhodesia  Customs 
Duties  Collection  Bill,  Rhodes,  amid  cheers,  drew  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  the  products  of  the  Cape  entered 
Rhodesia  free  of  charge,  whereas  Cape  products  seek- 
ing a  market  in  the  Transvaal  were  heavily  taxed.  The 
debate  was  continued  on  31st  July,  when  Rhodes  again 
spoke  with  force  and  effect. 

On  4th  August,  In  the  Budget  Debate,  he  said  he  was 
confident  as  to  the  growth  of  the  Colonial  Railway  reve- 
nue, provided  the  Transvaal  question  were  settled,  and 
he  added,  "I  am  confident  It  will  be  settled — if  the 
Imperial  Government  stands  firm — ^and  in  two  months, 
without  firing  a  sihot,  assuming  moderation  on  both 
sides."     He  resumed  his  seat  amid  general  cheers. 

On  8th  August,  Schreiner  made  a  violent  attack  on 
Rhodes,  apparently  for  having  described  the  atmosphere 
of  the  House  as  that  of  a  human  pigsty;  but,  in  truth, 
the  session  throughout  was  one  of  unbridled  turbulence, 
singularly  at  variance  with  the  decorum  generally  pre- 
vailing in  the  Assembly. 

On  22nd  August,  Rhodes  again  spoke  on  his  favourite 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY      265 

subject.  "As  for  the  Transvaal  question,"  he  said,  "I 
am  perfectly  clear  that,  as  I  have  said  before,  there  Is 
going  to  be  no  bloodshed  (cheers).  If  Kruger  Is  a 
sensible  man,  he  will  climb  down  In  the  end,  and  there 
will  be  a  settlement.  The  less  we  deal  with  that  ques- 
tion In  the  House  the  better.  Many  of  us  have  been 
burnt  over  It.  (Laughter  and  cheers.)  Many  say  the 
Transvaal  must  be  an  English-speaking  community. 
Once  the  settlement  Is  over,  we  shall  be  better  friends  In 
South  Africa."     (Cheers.) 

In  the  division  that  ensued,  the  consolidated  Dutch 
vote  went  with  the  Government,  who  won  by  a  majority 
of  ten.  The  action  of  the  House,  of  course,  hardened 
Kruger's  heart. 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  Mr.  Harry  Escombe, 
one  of  the  leading  statesmen  In  Natal,  shared  the  views 
expressed  by  Rhodes.  Writing  to  him  on  4th  September, 
1899,  Escombe  said,  "My  hope  and  belief  Is  that  Kruger 
will  yield  sufficiently  to  avert  war,  though  not  with  a 
good  grace." 

On  24th  August,  In  an  attack  by  Merrlman  on  Rhodes, 
there  was  a  violent  scene,  and  even  a  Dutch  supporter 
of  the  Government  was  moved  to  say,  amid  cheers,  that 
he  regretted  the  Treasurer  should  have  spoken  as  he  had, 
and  hoped  he  would  long  remember  the  lesson  he  had 
received. 

The  next  day,  in  reply  to  a  question  by  Sprigg  as  to 
the  quantity  of  arms  and  ammunition  removed  from  the 
Colony  to  the  Republic  since  ist  July,  Schreiner  admitted 
tthat  the  public  were  alarmed,  especially  by  a  large 
removal  of  arms  to  the  Free  State  on  the  i6th  July,  but 
pleaded  that  he  was  trying  In  his  own  feeble  way  to  do 


266  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

his  duty  in  not  very  easy  times  and  circumstances,  and  as 
a  loyal  and  earnestly  devoted  subject  of  Her  Majesty. 
It  was  a  pathetic  speech  of  a  good  man  struggling  with 
adversity  and  unequal  to  the  task. 

On  the  same  day  Rhodes  made  an  excellent  speech, 
free  from  rancour,  on  the  taxation  proposals  of  the 
Government. 

On  28th  August,  Sprigg  returned  to  the  charge  on  the 
subject  of  the  removal  of  arms,  stating  that  in  seven 
weelis  1,253,000  cartridges,  iioo  guns,  besides  other 
munitions  of  war,  had  been  permitted  by  Government  to 
enter  the  Orange  Free  State  from  the  Colony.  He 
pointed  out  that  even  the  Portuguese  authorities  at  Dela- 
goa  Bay  had  acted  more  stringently.  It  was  a  statesman- 
like and  impressive  utterance,  to  which  for  a  while  there 
was  no  reply,  until  goaded  by  speeches  from  a  succession 
of  Opposition  members,  Schreiner  at  last  arose  and,  as 
a  diversion,  attacked  Rhodes,  who  had  not  spoken  at  all. 
Great  uproar  ensued,  and  with  a  view  to  tranquilising 
an  angry  House,  the  Prime  Minister  finally  read  the 
following  telegram  from  the  President  of  the  Orange 
Free  State: 

"With  reference  to  the  discussion  regarding  the  im- 
portation of  arms  and  ammunition  for  the  Orange  Free 
State,  I  believe  that  no  assurance  from  any  side  is  nec- 
essary to  contradict  the  ridiculous,  false,  and  malicious 
reports  that  there  exists  in  the  mind  of  this  Government 
or  this  people  any  intention  or  contemplation  of  taking 
up  weapons  in  any  aggressive  or  offensive  manner, 
against  the  British  Government  or  any  British  colony 
or  territory  (Ministerial  cheers).  It  is  now  as  always 
our  fixed  principle  that  the  Free  State  will  never  have 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY      267 

recourse  to  weapons  otherwise  than  when  attacked  or  in 
defence  of  its  rights,  or  in  support,  or  in  fulfilment  of 
its  obligations  (Opposition  cries  of  'Oh').  I  utter  the 
desire  of  the  whole  of  our  people  when  I  say  that  no 
means  will  be  left  untried  by  me  to  preserve  peace  in 
South  Africa.  I  see  no  reason  why  those  points  of 
difference  between  the  British  Government  and  the  South 
African  Republic  cannot  be  settled  by  peaceful  methods 
and  I  remain  of  the  conviction  that  to  have  recourse  to 
arms  upon  differences  such  as  those  which  exist,  would 
be  to  commit  an  offence  against  civilisation."  Mministerial 
cheers). 

The  Prime  Minister  went  on  to  express  his  belief  that 
this  was  a  message  of  peace  and  not  a  message  of  war, 
and  he  therefore  declined  to  do  more  than  watch  the 
further  removal  of  arms.  Yet  he  was  within  a  few 
weeks  of  the  launch  of  the  Boer  ultimatum,  followed  by 
the  immediate  siege  of  Kimberley! 

A  passionate  debate  followed.  The  House  seemed 
charged  with  electricity.  It  was  left  to  a  shrewd  private 
member  to  point  out  that  President  Steyn  distinctly  stated 
that  he  would  fight  to  fulfil  obligations,  i.e.  obligations 
to  the  Transvaal,  such  as  had  already  been  contracted. 

Schreiner  finally  tendered  an  apology  to  Rhodes,  and, 
after  Sprigg  had  drawn  attention  to  the  offensive  and 
defensive  alliance  between  the  two  Republics,  the  matter 
dropped,  leaving  a  feeling  of  dismay  In  the  minds  of  all 
loyalists. 

On  30th  August  another  heated  debate  took  place 
on  the  alleged  use  of  Transvaal  Secret  Service  money 
during  the  recent  Cape  elections.  Rhodes  spoke  at  some 
length  and  averred  that  his  opponent  at  Barkly  West, 


268  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

a  poor  man,  had  been  fed  from  that  source;  that  he 
came,  hke  a  swallo\Y,  from  Pretoria,  and,  when  defeated, 
flew  back  there.  He  admitted  having  been  sued  for  the 
statement,  when  the  plaintiff  claimed  heavy  damages,  but 
was  awarded  £5. 

Colonel  Schermbrucker  specifically  mentioned  another 
constituency  in  which  Transvaal  money  had  been  dis- 
bursed, and,  after  recrimination  all  round,  the  subject 
was  allowed  to  drop. 

The  next  day  Rhodes,  in  more  conciliatory  mood, 
besought  the  House  to  get  back  to  the  practical  business 
of  the  country,  and  his  intervention  expedited  the  passing 
of  the  Partial  Appropriation  Bill.  The  next  day,  on  a 
Division,  the  Government  had  a  majority  of  7. 

On  4th  September  there  was  a  debate  on  the  continued 
exodus  coastwise  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Transvaali 
and  Sprigg  drew  attention  to  an  alleged  further  removal 
of  rifles  from  the  Colony,  but  the  Premier  denied  having 
granted  the  necessary  permit. 

On  the  same  day,  on  the  Parliamentary  Voters'  Regis- 
tration Bill,  Rhodes  is  reported  in  Hansard  as  saying 
that  Schreiner,  contrary  to  all  his  professions,  was  seek- 
ing to  disfranchise  the  natives.  "Under  one  of  the 
clauses,"  he  said,  "a  regular  examination  has  to  be  gone 
through  (Cheers),  and  that  means  the  absolute  disquali- 
fication of  every  native.  .  .  .  (Cheers.)  I  am  sur- 
prised to  see  the  Attorney-General  lending  himself  to 
this  clause.  .  .  .  You  have  drafted  a  Bill  which  dis- 
qualifies the  native  voter  and  I  wish  the  natives  to  wake 
up  to  the  fact.  ...  I  shall  fight  this  clause  to 
the  end." 

On  8th  September,  on  the  Grant  of  Lands  to  Native 


THE  STRUGGLE  FOR  SUPREMACY      269 

Chiefs  Bill,  Rhodes — always  interested  in  native  affairs 
— spoke  with  effect  on  the  policy  and  advantage  of  keep- 
ing faith  with  natives.  On  i8th  September  he  again 
spoke  earnestly  in  defence  of  the  native  vote,  and  re- 
asserted his  belief  in  the  principle  of  equal  rights  to  every 
civilised  man  irrespective  of  colour.  On  a  Division, 
however,  the  Government  carried  the  anti-native  clause 
by  a  majority  of  11,  all  the  Dutch  supporting  Schreiner, 
and  all  the  English  supporting  Rhodes  and  Innes. 

But  though  now  completely  out  of  touch  with  the 
Dutch  of  the  Cape  Colony,  his  settlers  of  that  nationality 
in  Rhodesia  adhered  to  him.  On  15th  September  he 
received  the  following  telegram,  "From  Dutch  settlers, 
Melsetter.  Kruger's  attitude  and  policy  strongly  con- 
demned by  our  community  here.  You  may  place  con- 
fidence in  our  fidelity." 

On  27th  September,  on  the  Voters'  Bill,  the  Govern- 
ment majority  fell  to  9,  afterwards  rising  to  13,  but 
their  principal  financial  measure  was  thrown  out  by  the 
Legislative  Council. 

On  3rd  October,  when  the  shadows  of  impending  war 
were  deepening,  a  private  member  moved,  "That,  in  the 
opinion  of  this  House,  steps  should  be  taken  to  ensure 
the  return  to  the  Colonial  side  of  the  Orange  River  of 
all  Colonial  Railway  Locomotive  and  Rolling  Stock  now 
running  on  the  Netherlands  and  Free  State  lines."  Sauer 
replied  that  he  had  tried  to  get  his  trucks  back  but  had 
received  evasive  answers,  and  an  official  return  showed 
that  while  the  Cape  held  only  187  trucks  of  other  Ad- 
ministrations, they  had  535  of  ours. 

The  House,  now  thoroughly  alarmed,  passed  the 
resolution  unanimously,  but  it  was  too  late.     During  the 


270  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

war  that  ensued,  not  only  were  the  Burghers  armed  with 
rifles  obtained  from  the  Cape,  but  they  entrained  for  the 
front  in  trucks  belonging  to  the  Cape  Railways. 

On  5th  October  the  Orange  Free  State  seized  800 
tons  of  coal  en  route  to  the  Colony,  and  though  it  was 
subsequently  released,  the  blow  fell  a  day  or  two  later 
when  the  Transvaal  authorities  boarded  the  down  train 
and  forcibly  removed  raw  gold  to  the  value  of  half  a 
million  sterling,  and  robbed  the  mails  of  a  further 
£45,000. 

On  6th  October  Rhodes  spoke  on  the  Finance  Bill — 
a  final  utterance.  I  do  not  find  that  he  again  attended 
any  sitting  of  the  House. 

On  1 2th  October  Sir  Alfred  Milner  dismissed  Parlia- 
ment, and  Schreiner,  in  a  parting  speech,  enunciated  the 
remarkable  doctrine  that  his  efforts  would  be  directed 
to  prevent  the  Colony  from  being  involved  in  the  vortex 
of  war — a  declaration  of  neutrality  which  must  have 
sounded  oddly  in  the  ears  of  loyal  subjects  of  the  Crown 
throughout  the  Empire.  The  House  broke  up  in  im- 
potent wrath.  Its  conflicting  ideals  had  paralysed  its  use- 
fulness and  this  was  perhaps  the  least  satisfactory  session 
in  its  long  and  hitherto  unblemished  career. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE  SIEGE  OF  KIMBERLEY  (1899) 

Preparations  for  defence — A  lion  cub  returned  without  thanks — 
Orange  Free  State  and  Transvaal  drawing  together — Against  pro- 
tests, Rhodes  throws  himself  into  Kimberley — Boer  Ultimatum — 
Martial  Law — Attacks  and  sorties — Scott-Turner  killed — Labram 
makes  "Long  Cecil" — Boers  reply  with  "Long  Tom" — Labram 
killed — Garrison  resume  the  offensive — Furious  fighting — General 
French  arrives — Boers  in  retreat — Anecdotes. 

This,  as  I  have  said,  is  not  a  history  of  South  Africa, 
nor  is  it  a  history  of  the  Boer  War,  nor  even  a  chronicle 
of  the  siege  of  Kimberley,  save  in  regard  to  the  con- 
nection of  Rhodes  with  that  episode. 

That  a  struggle  was  impending  had  for  months  been 
the  fixed  conviction  of  the  vast  majority  of  South  African 
colonists.  Rhodes,  judged  by  his  utterances,  and 
Schreiner,  by  his  actions,  were  notable  exceptions. 

So  far  back  as  nth  July  the  Queensland  Government 
had  offered  the  services  of  a  contingent — a.  forecast  of 
the  enthusiastic  support  afforded  later  on  to  Great  Britain 
by  her  Colonies,  the  significance  of  which  was  apparently 
overlooked  at  Pretoria. 

On  19th  July  the  Natal  Parliament,  untroubled  by 
the  racial  divisions  which  paralysed  that  of  the  Cape, 
passed  a  unanimous  resolution  to  stand  by  the  mother 
country.  No  idle  talk  of  neutrality  marred  their  loyal 
action. 

On  ist  September  several  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  Johannesburg  press  were  placed  under  arrest,   and 


272  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

a  week  later  10,000  troops  were  ordered  to  South  Africa. 
The  inhabitants  of  Kimberley,  unlike  the  Cape  Premier, 
profoundly  distrusted  the  assurances  of  President  Steyn, 
and  they  sent  Schreiner  the  following  blunt  telegram: — 

"If  you  cannot,  or  will  not,  protect  us,  give  us  arms 
and  we  will  protect  ourselves." 

The  answer  received  was  to  this  effect: — 

"There  is  no  reason  whatever  for  apprehending  that 
Kimberley  is  or  will  be  in  any  danger  of  attack  and  your 
fears  are  therefore  groundless." 

Foiled  in  this  direction,  the  Town  appealed  to  the 
High  Commissioner,  nor  was  the  appeal  in  vain.  Major 
Scott-Turner  had  already  been  sent  up  by  His  Excel- 
lency to  draw  up  a  plan  of  defence  and  organise  a  Town 
Guard.  On  13th  September  Lieutenant-Colonel  R.  G. 
Kekewich  arrived  and  took  over  the  command.  Kim- 
berley would  have  been  even  more  anxious  than  it  was 
had  the  cables  of  that  date  between  Leyds  and  the  Presi- 
dent been  public  property,  but  they  were  not  published 
till  they  appeared  in  the  Volkstem  in  November,  1908. 

Early  in  September  Leyds  had  stated  that  Europe 
wondered  why  the  Transvaal  was  losing  time,  and  on 
27th  of  that  month  he  expressly  advised  the  issue  of  an 
ultimatum,  to  be  followed  by  an  attack  before  England 
was  ready. 

On  15th  September  a  Burgher  of  the  Orange  Free 
State,  with  British  sympathies,  wrote  to  me,  "I  have  sent 
my  children  to  the   Colony  and  there  is  a  black  mark 


SIEGE  OF  KIMBERLEY  273 

to  my  name.  The  feeling  has  intensified  enormously 
since  you  passed  through,  and  men  who  were  anxious 
for  peace  are  now  clamouring  for  war.  The  strain  is 
more  than  the  country  can  stand  for  long,  and  our 
Mausers  will  soon  go  off  by  themselves." 

An  incident  during  September  has  its  humorous  side. 
Rhodes,  whether  out  of  pure  good  nature  or  with  a  spice 
of  irony,  had  presented  the  Pretoria  Zoological  Gardens 
with  a  fine  lion  cub.  He  now  received  the  following 
amusing  reply: — 

"Pretoria,  den  i^th  September,  1899. 
"The  Right  Hon.  C.  J.  Rhodes, 

"The  Grange,  Rondebosch,  Cape  Colony. 

"Sir, — I  have  the  honour  to  inform  you  that  my  Gov- 
ernment and  my  Committee  are  highly  displeased  at 
my  lion  transaction  concluded  with  you  at  your  house  on 
Friday,  September  15th;  they  have  forbidden  me  to  keep 
the  lion,  and  have  ordered  me  to  return  it  to  you.  I 
have  made  arrangements  for  feeding  the  lion  well  on 
the  road  down,  and  hope  it  will  arrive  in  good  condition. 

"I  regret  exceedingly  I  accepted  your  generous  offer, 
which  I  could  have  known  would  not  be  favourably 
received  by  my  countrymen;  but  only  my  great  desire 
to  acquire  the  animal  for  our  local  Zoo,  made  me  forget 
all  existing  differences. — I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 
Yours  obediently,     {Sgd.)  Dr.  J.  W.  R.  Gunning, 

"Director  of  the  State  Museum." 

On  27th  September  the  Orange  Free  State  Volksraad 
by  resolution  agreed  to  stand  by  the  Transvaal,  though 
curiously   enough   five   days  later  President  Steyn   sent 


274  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

another  very  pacific  telegram  to  the  High  Commissioner. 

Kimberley,  however,  was  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
and  strenuous  efforts  were  made,  not  indeed  by  the  Gov- 
ernment, but  by  the  townspeople,  to  put  the  place  in  a 
position  of  defence.  The  volunteers  were  called  out  on 
4th  October,  and  on  the  following  day  the  Town  Guard 
and  the  Diamond  Fields  Artillery  began  to  muster. 

Rhodes,  while  still  sitting  in  the  House  of  Assembly, 
received  the  following  letter  from  a  colleague  in  Kim- 
berley:— 

"Kimberley,  ist  Oct.,  1899. 

"Dear  Mr.  Rhodes, — I  hear  you  are  thinking  of 
coming  up  to  Kimberley  about  the  end  of  this  week. 
I  have  been  thinking  it  over  and  the  result  is  that  I  am 
writing  you  this  note.  1  am  not  an  alarmist,  but  I  really 
think  you  should  not  think  of  coming  up  until  the  storm 
has  passed.  You  know  the  Boers  say  everything  /'//  that 
happens  you  are  the  cause  of  and  the  coming  war  is  put 
down  to  your  account. 

"We  have  heard  more  than  once  that  there  are  men 
who,  when  war  is  declared,  will  be  only  too  glad  of  the 
chance  of  murdering  you. 

"The  whole  world  knows  how  you  risked  your  life  in 
the  Matopos  while  we  in  fear  and  trembling  were  afraid 
you  might  stop  a  Matabele  bullet.  Now  is  it  wise  to 
run  any  unnecessary  risk? 

"You  have  laid  out  a  programme  that  no  one  but 
yourself  can  carry  out.  If  anything  should  happen  to 
you  it  would  be  a  cause  of  rejoicing  to  a  few  thousands 
of  ignorant  Boers,  but  would  cause  world-wide  sorrow, 
and  would  be   a   great   national  calamity. 


SIEGE  OF  KIMBERLEY  275 

"Everything  that  we  can  do  will  be  done  to  protect 
the  Company's  property,  and  if  our  men  have  the  chance 
they  will  show  what  they  can  do  in  the  fighting  line. 

"I  am  writing  as  I  feel  so  you  must  please  pardon  me." 

Many  other  representations,  official  and  private,  were 
made  to  him  to  the  same  effect,  as  Kimberley  feared  that 
the  presence  of  their  formidable  townsman  in  their  midst 
might  accentuate  the  Boer  attack,  as  it  probably  did. 
The  following  telegram  reached  him  on  4th  October: — 

"From  Mayor,  Kimberley,  to  Rt.  Hon.  C.  J.  Rhodes, 
Rondehosch. 
^^Confidential.  Citizens  generally  feel  that  your 
presence  here  would  serve  to  induce  a  rush  with  view 
to  do  the  town,  your  Company,  and  all  our  joint  interests 
great  damage.  Under  all  circumstances  would  ask  you 
kindly  to  postpone  coming  in  order  to  avert  any  possible 
risks." 

His  private  secretary  urged  me  to  add  my  entreaties 
to  those  of  other  friends,  which  I  did,  until  Rhodes  put 
it  to  me  on  a  point  of  honour.  Kimberley,  he  said,  had 
made  him:  was  he,  in  its  hour  of  distress,  to  be  absent 
"from  its  midst?"     I  could  say  no  more,  and  he  went. 

The  Boer  ultimatum  is  dated  9th  October  and  was 
to  expire  at  5  P.  M.  on  Wednesday,  the  nth  of  the  month. 
On  the  evening  of  the  9th,  Rhodes  and  his  friend.  Dr. 
Smart,  slipped  away  from  Groote  Schuur  without  giving 
notice  to  the  guests  staying  in  the  house,  and  entrained 
at  a  wayside  station  without  being  observed.  Their  train 
was  due  to  arrive  in  Kimberley  an  hour  or  two  before 


276  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  expiry  of  the  Ultimatum,  but  owing  to  a  slight  acci- 
dent en  route,  they  were  several  hours  late,  and,  as  the 
Boers  were  already  closing  in,  they  narrowly  escaped 
capture. 

It  may  be  said  at  once  that  Kimberley  was  safe  all 
through  the  siege  from  direct  assault,  for  it  numbered 
among  its  defenders  4500  good  shots,  and  its  capture 
would  have  entailed  a  much  larger  loss  of  life  to  the 
Boers  than  they  were  prepared  to  face.  But  the 
aggregate  of  its  inhabitants,  white  and  black,  was 
roughly  45,000,  and  it  ran  great  risk  of  being  starved 
into  submission.  Its  perimeter  of  defence  exceeded  eight 
miles,  in  addition  to  which  it  became  necessary  to  hold 
the  Premier  Mine,  another  mine  three  miles  away,  as 
the  town's  only  permanent  water  supply  came  from  there. 
There  was  also  the  possibility  of  being  shelled  into  sur- 
render, but  the  place  was  known  to  the  besiegers  to  be 
heavily  mined  and  they  were  therefore  content  to  keep 
their  distance. 

On  15th  October,  martial  law  was  proclaimed  by  the 
officer  commanding,  and  Rhodes  tackled  the  difEcult 
problem  of  how  to  keep  25,000  natives  out  of  mischief. 
Those  who  cared  to  risk  slipping  through  the  Boer  lines 
were  encouraged  to  do  so :  the  others  were  set  to  work 
to  plant  trees,  make  roads  and  clear  ground  for  the 
erection  of  future  suburbs.  Strict  discipline  was  main- 
tained, and  everybody  placed  on  half  rations:  hospitals 
and  soup  kitchens  were  improvised,  and  all  prominent 
buildings  sand-bagged. 

Throughout  October  the  pressure  by  the  Boers 
gradually  increased,  and  in  November  the  garrison  found 
that  the   investment  was  complete.      Rhodes  still  occa- 


SIEGE  OF  KIMBERLEY  277 

slonally  found  an  adventurous  spirit  to  renew  communica- 
tion with  the  outer  world,  and  rumours  of  relief  ever 
and  again  deluded  the  town  into  the  temporary  hope  that 
succour  was  at  hand. 

On  4th  November  Commandant  Wessels  summoned 
the  garrison  to  surrender,  and  Colonel  Kekewich  In 
Homeric  vein  bade  him  march  in  if  he  could.  The 
bombardment  thereupon  commenced,  and  it  was  judged 
necessary  to  make  vigorous  sorties  from  time  to  time, 
some  of  which  led  to  the  acquisition  of  both  prisoners 
and  provisions;  but  on  28th  November  the  able  and 
fearless  second  in  command.  Major  Scott-Turner,  was 
killed,  to  the  lasting  regret  of  Rhodes,  by  whom  he  was 
highly  esteemed. 

December  was  a  month  of  gloom.  The  civil  and 
military  officers  did  not  pull  well  together  after  Turner's 
death.  Rhodes  was  the  life  and  soul  of  the  defence, 
but  he  was  apt  to  forget  that  Colonel  Kekewich  was 
responsible  to  the  Commander-in-Chief  and  could  not 
delegate  his  authority  even  to  a  Privy  Councillor.  The 
De  Beers  Company  spent  money  lavishly,  only  a  small 
portion  of  which  was  subsequently  repaid  to  them. 
Rhodes,  with  Dr.  Smart,  and  a  few  personal  friends, 
went  the  rounds  daily,  and  his  escapes  were  very 
numerous,  as  he  persisted,  in  spite  of  protest,  in  wearing 
a  conspicuous  white  suit.  His  favourite  question  to  any 
fagged  and  anxious  official  was,  "Do  you  want  any- 
thing?" Naturally  replies  were  seldom  in  the  negative. 
As  a  rule  requirements  were  easily  met,  but  on  one  occa- 
sion an  artillery  officer  said,  "Yes,  I  want  forty-three 
horses,  sixty-two  mules,  seven  waggons  and  four  carts, 
to  make  my  guns  mobile."    He   was   rather   surprised 


278  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

three  days  later  to  hear  that  they  had  all  been  delivered 
at  his  camp. 

It  is,  of  course,  well  known  that  the  Boer  artillery 
outclassed  ours  at  the  sieges  of  Ladysmith  and  Kim- 
berley,  and  hence  the  prophets  of  evil  consistently  pre- 
dicted the  fall  of  both  those  places.  A  London  friend 
writing  to  me  late  in  December,  remarked,  "I  am  dread- 
fully anxious  about  Rhodes.  All  the  officials  of  the  War 
Office  and  outsiders  combine  in  saying  that  Kimberley 
must  fall.  I  refuse  to  believe  it  or  contemplate  the  con- 
sequences, but  people  are  already  discounting  the  effect 
on  the  market  of  anything  happening  to  Rhodes.  It  is 
agreed  on  all  hands,  that  such  a  tragedy  would  send 
chartered  shares  below  par." 

This  refers  to  a  current  rumour  that  Rhodes,  if  cap- 
tured, would  be  shot.  I  venture  to  characterise  this  as 
a  baseless  calumny.  There  are  hot-heads  in  every  camp, 
and  judgment,  not  mercy,  is  the  dominant  note  in  war; 
but  the  Boers  are  a  kindly  people  and,  on  the  whole, 
they  conducted  the  campaign  with  a  moderation  and  re- 
straint that  is  seldom  to  be  found  in  the  ranks  of  the 
most  civilised  and  best  disciplined  armies  on  the  continent 
of  Europe.  The  following  telegram,  however,  was  after- 
wards picked  up  in  Cronje's  laager  at  Paardeberg. 

"October  i^th,  1899. 
"From  Pretoria,   Swemmer,   to  Express,  Bloemfontein. 

"I  trust  my  Free  State  brothers  will  not  allow  Rhodes 
to  escape  out  of  Kimberley.  Your  brothers  on  this  side 
of  the  Vaal  are  standing  firmly  and  watching.  May  God 
help  us  and  the  Free  State  to  cast  off  the  yoke  of  the 
English  for  good.  For  this  purpose  we  offer,  with  God's 
help,  property  and  blood." 


SIEGE  OF  KIMBERLEY  279 

During  December  Rhodes  had  close  conference  with 
one  of  his  American  engineers,  Labram  by  name.  He 
appreciated  to  the  full  the  competence  and  resourceful- 
ness of  trained  Americans.  His  general  manager,  Mr. 
Gardiner  Williams,  who  was  one  of  them,  proved  a 
tower  of  strength  throughout  the  siege.  Labram  was 
another.  As  the  result  of  much  discussion,  he  offered 
to  construct  a  powerful  gun.  He  had  no  expert 
knowledge  in  any  of  the  numerous  processes  involved, 
he  had  not  even  the  necessary  tools:  but  he  was  a  man 
of  genius  and  Rhodes  was  another  and  the  De  Beers 
workshops,  then  standing  Idle,  were  at  his  disposal.  On 
27th  December,  "Long  Cecil"  was  put  In  hand,  and  on 
19th  January,  19 10,  it  was  sending  heavy  shells  into  the 
Boer  camps  "with  C.  J.  Rhodes's  compliments."  The 
incident  has  been  narrated  by  abler  pens  than  mine.  It 
was  a  tour  de  force,  a  veritable  triumph  of  mechanical 
genius  over  what  appeared  insurmountable  obstacles,  and 
it  put  heart  Into  the  somewhat  despondent  garrison.  The 
Boer  reply  came  on  8th  February,  when  a  sensation  was 
caused  by  the  besiegers,  after  Incredible  exertions,  bring- 
ing a  6-in.  Creusot  gun  to  play  upon  the  town.  The 
next  day  Labram  was  killed  and  burled  at  night,  amid 
a  tornado  of  shot  and  shell.  There  was  for  a  while  a 
panic  in  the  town,  but  Rhodes  was  equal  to  the  occasion. 
The  banks  were  closed,  the  people  betook  themselves  to 
"dug-outs"  In  the  debris  heaps.  On  Sunday,  nth  Feb- 
ruary, a  notice  appeared,  signed  by  Rhodes,  offering 
shelter  to  women  and  children  In  the  shafts  and  galleries 
of  the  mines.  Food,  light,  and  guides  were  provided 
and  ere  sunset,  2500  people  were  accommodated  some 
hundreds  of  feet  below  ground. 


28o  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

One  incident  of  the  siege  must  here,  In  defence  of 
Rhodes,  be  touched  on.  On  loth  February  he  and  the 
Mayor  handed  In  a  message  to  Colonel  Kekewlch 
deprecating  further  delay  In  relieving  the  town.  In  some 
manner,  never  satisfactorily  explained,  the  summary 
transmitted  to  Lord  Roberts  conveyed  the  impression 
that  the  town  had  decided  to  surrender,  and  the  reply 
of  the  Field-Marshal  was  an  earnest  entreaty  to  hold 
out  to  the  last.  But  there  was  no  shadow  of  a  threat 
to  surrender  In  the  original  message. 

On  14th  February  the  garrison,  far  from  losing  heart, 
made  an  effective  sortie  and  occupied  Alexandersfonteln, 
three  miles  away.  The  Boers  brought  up  their  artillery, 
and  the  struggle  was  furious  and  prolonged,  but  the 
garrison  maintained  the  position.  It  Is  curious  to  note 
that  their  last  movement  was  an  offensive  and  not  a 
defensive  one.  On  15th  February — the  124th  day  of 
the  siege — at  2 130  P.  M.,  a  large  mounted  force  was 
seen  approaching  from  the  south-east.  An  Australian 
officer  was  the  first  to  enter  Kimberley,  closely  followed 
by  a  war  correspondent,  and  shortly  after  7  o'clock. 
General  French  was  conferring  with  Rhodes  at  the  Sana- 
torium. The  long  agony  was  over:  the  Boers  were  In 
full  retreat,  and  the  Inhabitants  of  Kimberley  had  written 
one  further  inscription  on  the  glorious  roll  of  national 
history. 

It  was  a  characteristic  note  of  the  general  confidence 
in  Rhodes  that,  during  the  very  crisis  of  the  siege,  a 
letter  reached  him  from  a  neighbouring  village,  appeal- 
ing to  him  for  armed  assistance,  as  they  had  "been  left 
defenceless  by  the  Government";  and  another  letter  of 
sympathy  from  outside,  the  writer  of  which,  though  a 


SIEGE  OF  KIMBERLEY  281 

hard  business  man,  signed  himself,  "With  undying  at- 
tachment, your  most  devoted  servant."  Who  will  say 
that,  even  in  these  prosaic  days,  sentiment  counts  for 
nothing?  Even  from  the  women  entombed  in  the  depths 
of  the  Kimberley  Mine  came  the  cheering  message, 
"Thanks  for  your  many  kindnesses  received.  We  hope 
you  are  safe  and  well." 

Safe  indeed,  but  far  from  well,  and  never  again  to 
be  well  in  this  world.  Undaunted  in  spirit,  but  broken  in 
health  and  surrounded  by  many  anxieties,  Rhodes 
emerged  from  Kimberley  a  chastened,  shattered  man, 
with  the  sentence  of  death — a  sentence  of  God  and  not 
of  man — visibly  imprinted  upon  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

NEARING  THE  END  (1900) 

After  the  siege — Rhodes  on  Federation — Native  Franchise — Lord 
Roberts  on  Rhodes — Addresses  and  appreciations — Supper  at  Oriel 
— Mining  work  resumed — Letter  to  Archbishop — Milner  and 
Rhodes — Visit  to  England — Sir  Frank  Lascelles — Returns  to  the 
Cape — Visit  to  Rhodesia — Fall  of  Schreiner — Veiled  disloyalty — 
Sir  Gordon  Sprigg — Jameson  a  candidate — Letters  from  supporters 
— South  African  League — Rhodes  on  Mugwumps — Donation  to 
Cathedral — Cession  of  Barotsi  territory. 

A  FEW  days  after  the  relief  of  Kimberley,  Rhodes  will 
be  found  presiding  there  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the 
De  Beers  Consolidated  Mines.  The  meeting  had  been 
first  called  for  the  27th  November,  1899,  but  thrice 
postponed  owing  to  the  exigencies  of  war. 

His  speech  (23rd  February,  1900)  deserves  attention. 
His  political  sagacity  had  returned  to  him.  Until  the 
Ultimatum  was  launched,  he  held  the  view  that  President 
Kruger  was  "bluffing"  the  British  Government.  He  now 
recognised,  with  clearer  vision,  that  the  war,  by  solving 
many  problems,  would  lead  to  South  African  Federation. 
The  peace  of  Vereeniging  was  not  yet  in  sight,  but  he 
expressed  a  very  definite  conviction  that  it  was  near  at 
hand,  and  would  usher  in  the  union  of  South  Africa. 

"All  contention  will  be  over,"  he  said,  "with  the 
recognition  of  equal  rights  for  every  civilised  man  south 
of  the  Zambesi.  That  principle,  for  which  we  have  been 
so  long  striving,  is  the  crux  of  the  present  struggle,  and 
my    belief    is    that,    when    the    war    is    over,    a    large 


NEARING  THE  END 


283 


number  of  the  Dutch  in  this 
country  will  throw  in  their  lot 
with  us  on  this  basis,  that 
neither  race  shall  claim  any 
right  of  preference  over  the 
other.  We  have  no  feeling 
against  them.  We  have  lived 
with  them,  shot  with  them, 
visited  with  them,  and  we 
find,  owing  I  supose  to  the 
race  affinity,  that  there  is  not 
much  difference  between  us. 
But  they  have  been  misled 
in  Pretoria  and  Bloemfontein, 
and  even  in  Cape  Town." 

Although  his  speech,  on  the 
face  of  it,  dealt  mainly  with 
the  two  white  races,  he  ad- 
hered without  flinching  to  his 
old  formula  that  an  educated 
coloured  man  should  be  per- 
mitted, if  otherwise  qualified, 
to  exercise  the  franchise. 
When  approached  shortly 
afterwards  by  the  coloured 
community  on  this  point,  he 
wrote  his  views,  characteris- 
tically enough,  on  a  scrap  of 
newspaper,  of  which  a  fac- 
simile is  subjoined. 

In  this  speech  at  Kimberley 
he  used  the  phrase  that  for 


284  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

all  commercial  undertakings  the  best  asset  In  the  world 
was  Her  Majesty's  flag.  Opponents  endeavoured  to 
twist  this  into  an  expression  of  rank  materialism,  but, 
of  course,  his  meaning  was  not  open  to  misconstruction 
on  the  part  of  any  one  possessing  even  a  low  average 
of  ability.  His  shareholders  were  not  exclusively  British. 
Many  thousands  of  them  were  subjects  of  France  and 
Germany,  who  must  be  acquitted  of  any  sentimental  de- 
sire to  promote  the  expansion  of  our  Empire,  but  whose 
interests  lay  in  supporting  the  authority  of  a  pure  and 
honest  system  of  government.  To  them,  from  amid  the 
debris  of  a  battered  but  unconquered  Kimberley,  Rhodes 
addressed  the  pregnant  question,  "Under  which  adminis- 
tration do  you  prefer  to  carry  on  your  business:  under 
the  oligarchic  rule  of  the  Transvaal,  or  the  just  and 
capable  jurisdiction  of  Great  Britain?"  And  he  answered 
his  own  question  by  asserting  that  nowhere  in  the  world 
is  a  mercantile  corporation  surer  of  equitable  treatment 
than  under  the  British  flag. 

The  truth  of  his  answer  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact 
that  in  every  British  Colony  a  large  number  of  German 
and  other  Continental  subjects  reside  and  flourish  under 
our  rule  without  abating  one  jot  of  their  affection  for 
the  country  of  their  birth. 

The  efforts  of  Rhodes  to  keep  the  flag  flying  were 
recognised,  even  in  despite  of  their  differences,  by  Colonel 
Kekewich  in  his  Despatch  of  15th  February,  1900,  and 
by  Lord  Roberts,  who,  in  a  Despatch  dated  20th  March, 
wrote:  "I  would  add  that  the  citizens  of  Kimberley  seem 
to  have  rendered  valuable  assistance.  By  the  active  part 
which  he  took  in  raising  the  Kimberley  Light  Horse  and 
in  providing  horses  for  all  the  mounted  troops  in  Kim- 


NEARING  THE  END  285 

berley,  Mr.  Rhodes,  in  particular,  contributed  materially 
to  the  successful  defence  of  the  place." 

The  inhabitants  of  Kimberley  were  even  more  em- 
phatic. The  ministers  of  all  the  Free  Churches  ad- 
dressed him  as  follows : — 

"Kimberley,  ^th  March,  1900. 
"Diamond  Fields  Ministers'  Association. 
"To  the  Right  Hon.  C.  J.  Rhodes,  Kimberley. 
"Dear  Sir, — On  behalf  of  the  European,  Coloured 
and  Native  Congregations  to  which  we  minister,  we  de- 
sire to  express  our  hearty  thanks  to  you  and  the  Com- 
pany of  which  you  are  the  head,  for  all  that  you  have 
done  for  the  town  during  the  four  months'  siege  which 
has  so  recently  been  brought  to  a  close. 

"We  feel  that  the  town  owes  you  far  more  than  we 
can  express.     But  we  should  not  like  the  occasion  to  pass 
without  assuring  you  of  our  appreciation  and  admiration 
of  what  you  have  done  for  the  defence  and  comfort  of 
the  inhabitants  during  this  time  of  severe  trial.     We  are 
glad  to  know  that   a  lasting  memorial   of   Kimberley's 
gratitude  is  to  be  erected  in  the  town.     Meanwhile  we 
venture  to  bear  our  testimony  to  the  generosity  and  re- 
sourcefulness which  you  have  manifested  on  our  behalf. 
— We  beg  to  remain,  yours  faithfully, 
{Sgd.)  James  Scott,  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church. 
C.  Meyer,  Lutheran  Church. 
W.  H.  Richards,  Presbyterian  Minister. 
Harris  Isaacs,  Jewish. 
John  Gifford,  Baptist  Minister. 
William  Pescod,  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church. 
Arthur   Geo.    Renier,    Congregational    Min- 
ister. 


286  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Joseph  Ward,  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church. 
Peter    Milne,    B.D.,    Presbyterian    Minister, 

Beaconsfield. 
A.  J.  LiCHENBERG,  Dutch  Reformed  Minister. 
William     H.     Irving,     Wesleyan     Methodist 

Church. 
J.  S.  Morris,  Wesleyan  Minister,  Beaconsfield." 

The  Malay  community  also  sent  him  the  subjoined 
address: — 

"Thanks  to  the  Right  Honourable  Cecil  John  Rhodes, 
P.C,  M.L.A. 
"From   the    Mahommedan    Community   residing   in   the 
Kimberley  Electoral  Division. 

"Honoured  Sir, — We,  the  undersigned,  representing 
the  whole  of  the  Mahommedan  Communities  residing  in 
the  electoral  Division  of  Kimberley,  viz.:  Kimberley  and 
Du  Toits  Pan  townships,  feel  deeply  the  debt  of  gratitude 
we  owe  you  who,  with  the  assistance  of  Almighty  God, 
came  generously  to  our  aid,  when  through  the  ill-advised 
and  cruel  action  of  the  enemies  of  our  beloved  and 
gracious  Queen  we  were  laid  under  siege  and  deprived 
of  all  our  accustomed  means  of  securing  a  livelihood 
for  ourselves  and  our  wives  and  children,  and  all  who 
are  dependent  on  us  for  their  daily  bread. 

"We  all  feel  deeply  and  sincerely  grateful  to  you,  for 
we  know  that  beyond  question  it  is  to  your  goodness  of 
heart,  coming  forward  as  you  did  at  a  moment  when 
starvation  was  staring  us  in  the  face,  and  providing  us 
with  work  so  that  we  could  earn  bread  for  ourselves  and 
those  dependent  on  us — and  this  too  at  a  great  cost  of 


NEARING  THE  END  287 

money,  and  expenditure  of  thought  to  yourself.  We  see 
in  this  the  hand  of  God  guiding  you,  and  our  prayer  is 
that  the  great  God  may  help  you  and  the  great  work 
which  you  have  undertaken  in  South  Africa,  giving  you 
health  and  vigor  to  pursue  that  great  work,  and  con- 
ferring his  blessing  and  favour  on  the  work  at  every  step, 
"We  regard  you  as  a  father,  caring  for  the  lives  and 
welfare  of  the  Malay  people,  defending  them  from  the 
attacks,  the  very  cruel  attacks,  made  upon  them  by  war- 
like savages  during  the  long  period  of  the  siege.  And 
believe  us.  Honoured  Sir,  you  will  be  remembered  in  all 
our  prayers,  public  and  private,  to  Almighty  God,  to  the 
end  of  our  existence. 

"It  will  always  be  met  with  thanksgiving  to  hear  of 
your  welfare,  health  and  happiness,  and  to  be  assured 
that  your  great  work  is  progressing  well  and  effecting 
the  glorious  object  you  have  in  view. 

"We  have  the  honour  to  subscribe  ourselves  for  and 
on  behalf  of  the  Mahommedan  Community. — Your  hum- 
ble and  obedient  servants. 

Chief  Priests  of  Beaconsfield. 

Chief  Priests  of  Kimberley. 

Priest  of  Kimberley. 

Priest  of  Kimberley. 

Second  Priest,  Kimberley." 

Nor  was  Rhodes  forgotten  across  the  water.  On  21st 
February  a  friendly  Don  wrote  to  him  from  Oxford: — 

"We  had  a  big  supper  at  Oriel  at  the  end  of  last  term 
to  celebrate  our  winning  the  Association  Football  Cup. 
In  proposing  the  health  of  the  team,  I  alluded  to  the 
pleasure  it  would  give  Oriel  men  all  over  the  world,  tiot 


288  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

forgetting  one  at  Kimherley.  Then  they  stood  up  and 
cheered  and  cheered  and  cheered  again." 

The  Evening  Citizen,  a  Glasgow  paper,  said  a  little 
later:  "Mr.  Rhodes's  services  during  the  siege  are 
scarcely  yet  appreciated  at  their  proper  value.  In  big 
things,  as  in  little,  it  was  he  who  kept  Kimberley  together. 
While  chicken  and  such-like  delicacies  lasted,  he  gave 
up  his  daily  ration  to  the  sick  in  hospital.  He  himself 
equipped  four-fifths  of  the  garrison,  and  his  soup  kitchen 
daily  fed  10,000  people.  During  the  terrible  days  when 
Kimberley  was  bombarded  by  a  lOO-pounder  gun  at  a 
range  of  two  miles  (not  five  as  at  Ladysmith),  it  was  he 
who  devised  the  scheme  of  sheltering  women  and  children 
in  the  De  Beers  Mine,  and  he  helped  with  his  own  hands 
to  pass  the  children  down  to  their  underground  shelter." 

On  yth  March  De  Beers  recommenced  "washing,"  al- 
though mining  proper  was  delayed  for  another  month. 
Rhodes  had  proceeded  to  the  coast  on  the  2nd  of  the 
month,  filled  Groote  Schuur  with  visitors  and  invalids, 
but  himself  resided  at  the  little  cottage  by  the  sea  in 
which  he  ultimately  died. 

From  there  emanated  the  following  brief  note  ad- 
dressed to  the  Archbishop  of  Cape  Town,  for  whom  he 
entertained  sincere  affection  as  one  who  never  hesitated 
to  appeal  to  the  spiritual  side  of  his  nature. 

"MuiZENBERG,  March,  1900. 
"My  dear  Archbishop, — Thank  you  for  your  letter. 
I  think  matters  are  coming  all  right,  though  while  every- 
thing is  in  the  melting-pot  there  must  be  trouble.  I  often 
think  that  prayer  represents  the  daily  expression  to  one- 
self of  the  right  thing  to  do,  and  is  a  reminder  to  the 


NEARING  THE  END  289 

human  soul  that  it  must  direct  the  body  on  such  lines. — 
Yours,  C.  J.  Rhodes." 

Early  In  March  the  native  inhabitants  of  several 
frontier  districts  telegraphed  their  earnest  desire  to  re- 
ceive a  visit  from  Rhodes  before  he  left  for  England, 
but  the  state  of  his  health  precluded  him  from  complying 
with  their  request,  and  he  sailed  from  Cape  Town  on 
1 8th  March,  taking  with  him  a  cordial  letter  from  the 
High  Commissioner  expressing  the  hope  that  the  voyage 
would  set  him  up. 

Many  efforts  were  made  about  this  time  to  sow  dis- 
sension between  Lord  Mllner  and  Rhodes,  but  they 
wisely  arrived  at  a  practical  agreement  to  allow  no  such 
interested  Influences  to  prevail. 

The  visit  of  Rhodes  to  England  was  a  brief  one.  A 
friend,  under  date  7th  April,  1900,  writes  to  me:  "I  met 
him  at  Southampton,  and  he  Is  In  good  spirits,  though 
far  from  well.  We  hope  to  get  him  thoroughly  over- 
hauled by  the  doctors.  He  will  make  but  a  short  stay 
as  he  Is  very  anxious  to  be  again  In  Rhodesia." 

Under  date  nth  April,  Sir  Frank  Lascelles  wrote  to 
him  from  Berlin  on  the  subject  of  the  war.  "Public 
opinion  Is  dead  against  us,  but  the  Emperor  himself  has 
been  friendly  throughout.  He  is  dining  with  me  on 
Tuesday,  but  It  may  not  be  so  Interesting  a  dinner  as  the 
one  at  which  you  were  present." 

But  neither  friendly  correspondents  nor  medical  spe- 
cialists could  detain  him,  and  In  a  fortnight  he  was  again 
outward  bound  to  South  Africa.  On  arriving  at  Cape 
Town  he  found  that  the  land  route  to  Rhodesia  was 
closed  to  him,  as  the  war  still  dragged  on,  and  the  coastal 


290  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

service  being  somewhat  intermittent,  delay  threatened  in 
that  direction.  But,  nothing  daunted,  he  cut  the  Gordian 
knot  by  chartering  a  small  steamer,  in  which  he  sailed 
for  Beira  early  in  May.  Before  the  end  of  the  month 
he  was  at  Salisbury,  from  which  centre  he  toured  around 
Mashonaland,  visiting  Melsetter  and  other  districts,  and 
then  proceeded  to  Matabeleland  accompanied  by  Sir 
Charles  Metcalfe. 

The  Cape  Parliament  met  on  20th  July,  but  before 
that  date  the  Schreiner  Ministry  had  fallen  in  dramatic 
fashion,  not  by  an  adverse  vote  of  the  House,  but  by 
internal  dissension  and  because  the  veiled  disloyalty  of 
the  Bond  was  more  than  the  Premier  could  stand. 

The  crisis  came  to  a  head  in  June,  while  Rhodes  was 
busy  at  Salisbury.  He  had  decided  to  apply  for  leave 
of  absence  for  the  whole  session,  and  though  urgent 
appeals  were  despatched  to  him  to  come  down  and  as- 
sume the  reins,  he  declined  to  move,  using  an  invariable 
formula,  "You  can  trust  Miller." 

Thus  on  2nd  June  he  was  advised  of  a  recent  "scene" 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Cabinet,  when  Schreiner,  Solomon 
and  Herold  expressed  moderate  views,  whereas  Merri- 
man,  Sauer  and  Te  Water  were  vehemently  in  favour 
of  obeying  the  behests  of  the  Bond.  The  telegram  added 
that  the  organisation  in  question  would  vote  solid  against 
further  support  of  Schreiner. 

The  precise  ground  of  the  quarrel  was  the  introduction 
by  the  Attorney-General  (Solomon),  with  his  chief's  con- 
sent, of  an  Act  for  the  punishment  of  Colonial  rebels. 
To  bring  matters  to  a  head,  the  Premier  convened  a 
caucus  meeting  of  his  supporters  in  Committee  Room  No. 
18.     The  discussion  that  ensued  was  a  stormy  one.     A 


NEARING  THE  END  291 

prominent  Dutch  member  declared  with  passion  that 
Schreiner  would  be  guilty  of  shedding  Afrikander  blood. 
In  the  end  a  vote  was  taken.  Only  two  of  his  colleagues 
and  ten  other  supporters  stood  by  him.  The  rest  of  the 
party,  as  had  been  foreshadowed  to  Rhodes,  were  solid 
against  their  hitherto  trusted  leader.  The  sacred  right 
of  rebellion  was  thus  vindicated,  and  the  mere  "neutral- 
ity" of  Schreiner  was  deemed  insufficient  to  warrant  the 
retention  of  his  services.  To  such  a  depth  had  fallen 
the  great  party  once  so  loyal  to  Rhodes  ! 

The  episode  was  caustically  commented  on  in  the  local 
press  on  June  nth,  and  the  same  day  Schreiner  tendered 
his  resignation.  Three  days  later  it  was  officially  noti- 
fied in  the  Gazette  that  the  resignation  was  accepted. 
Wild  rumours  were  at  once  put  in  circulation  as  to  the 
composition  of  the  new  Ministry.  In  some  quarters  a 
coalition  was  advocated  as  the  only  solution.  A  round- 
table  conference  was  suggested,  but  the  Bond  held  aloof 
and  would  accept  nothing  short  of  an  amnesty  to  rebels, 
whereas  Schreiner  had  screwed  up  his  courage  sufficiently 
to  propose  their  disfranchisement. 

It  is  believed  that  for  a  day  or  two  Mr.  Rose-Innes 
was  put  forward  as  a  possible  leader,  but  ultimately 
Rhodes  was  asked  by  wire  to  pronounce  his  benediction 
on  a  Ministry,  supported  by  Schreiner,  in  which  Sir  Gor- 
don Sprigg  was  to  be  Premier,  and  Rose-Innes  Attorney- 
General.  His  acquiescence  was  somewhat  ungracious  to 
the  latter.  "I  have  no  objection,  and  can  swallow  a 
mugwump  if  it  will  help  the  Governor." 

On  the  1 8th  June  the  new  Ministry  was  sworn  in, 
and  Rhodes,  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  further  molestation, 
betook  himself  beyond  the  reach  of  the  wire.     Before 


292  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  close  of  the  month,  however,  he  was  in  Bulawayo. 
On  22nd  June  Dr.  Jameson  made  his  first  appearance 
as  Parliamentary  candidate  for  Kimberley  by  addressing 
the  electors  in  the  Town  Hall  there.  In  his  speech  he 
thus  referred  to  the  tentative  efforts  previously  made  to 
place  him  in  Parliament. 

"Two  years  ago,"  he  said,  "at  the  General  Election, 
I  was  invited  to  become  a  candidate  for  a  Colonial 
constituency  with  every  prospect  of  being  returned, 
but  on  my  arrival  at  the  Cape  I  found  that  by  many 
not  very  sturdy  but  very  prominent  Progressives  my 
comfortable  theory  of  oblivion  was  not  believed  in.  It 
was  represented  that  my  candidature  and,  still  worse, 
my  election  might  damage  the  cause  and  further  em- 
bitter racial  feeling.  Of  course,  I  stood  aside.  Again 
last  year,  at  the  elections  brought  about  by  the  passing 
of  the  Redistribution  Bill,  the  same  result  awaited  me, 
after  a  6000  mile  journey.  You  see,  I  have  been  per- 
sistent, but  fairly  patient.  Now  I  feel  free  to  come 
forward  in  response  to  your  requisition." 

The  speech  is  still  worth  reading,  but  I  refer  to  it 
only  because  there  Is  evidence  before  me  that  timid 
members  of  the  party  urged  Rhodes  to  veto  the  candi- 
dature, and  that  he  again  refused. 

During  July  and  August  he  continued  to  travel  exten- 
sively in  Rhodesia.  On  2nd  August  he  telegraphed  to 
me  from  Salisbury:  "Sorry  to  miss  you.  Am  going 
steadily  through  the  country.  The  mines  are  promis- 
ing." 

A  few  days  later  an  influential  member  of  the  House 
wrote  to  him  with  gentle  malice:  "I  am  afraid  it  will 
take  another  six  weeks  to  carry  the  Rebel  Bill.    Hofmcyr 


NEARING  THE  END  293 

Is  hard  at  work  trying  to  smash  up  the  Schrelner-Sprigg 
compact.  If  it  were  not  for  Milner  he  would  succeed, 
for  Sprigg  Is  not  In  the  same  plane,  for  craft,  as  the 
other  side.  Innes  is  very  happy.  Everybody  ladles 
treacle  over  him,  and  you  can  hear  him  purring  all  over 
the  House." 

On  31st  August,  another  staunch  supporter  addressed 
him  at  great  length. 

"My  dear  Chief, — I  hear  that  we  are  to  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  you  before  the  session  ends.  In  the 
first  place,  will  you  allow  me  to  congratulate  you  heartily 
on  the  line  of  action  you  have  this  year  adopted?  You 
have  done  absolutely  the  right  thing  in  having  avoided 
the  quarrelling  on  the  Treason  Bill,  but  I  think  you 
would  be  making  a  mistake  if  you  did  not  put  in  an 
appearance  before  the  session  ends. 

"The  animus  against  you  on  the  part  of  the  rank 
and  file  of  the  Afrikander  party  is  wonderfully  disappear- 
ing. Many — more  than  you  think — no  longer  regard 
you  with  the  old  distrust,  and  I  speak  sincerely  when  I 
tell  you  that  there  are  definite  indications  of  a  reaction 
In  your  favour. 

"South  Africa  is  not  the  unknown  factor  it  once  was, 
and  he  who  can  reunite  its  white  races  so  as  to  make 
them  no  longer  a  source  of  suspicion  to  one  another, 
or  of  danger  to  the  Empire,  is  not  going  soon  to  dis- 
appear from  the  ranks  of  fame.  Utopian  as  it  may 
now  seem  to  talk  of  reunion,  I  am  quite  sure  that  you 
can  do  so  within  the  next  six  months,  and  I  am  speak- 
ing with  more  Information  than  I  care  now  to  explain. 

"Don't  imagine  that  there   are   serious   difficulties  In 


294  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  way.  There  is  not  the  slightest  need  of  any  humili- 
ating sacrifice  on  your  part,  as  either  the  great  South 
African  or  as  the  still  greater  Imperialist. 

"Rightly  or  wrongly,  our  Afrikander  friends  have 
regarded  you  as  the  one  who  has  disunited  them,  and 
I  know  they  now  look  to  you  to  reunite  them. 

"I  am  now  writing — a  little  in  parables  and  abso- 
lutely In  confidence — to  give  you  some  hints  as  to  what 
I  know  is  before  you,  and  to  ask  you  to  pave  the  way 
for  the  great  future  you  have  practically  at  your  feet." 

But  Rhodes  declined  to  be  drawn,  and  although  he 
was  back  in  Kimberley  on  28th  September,  and  arrived 
in  Cape  Town  early  in  October,  and  Parliament  was  not 
prorogued  till  the  15th  of  that  month,  I  do  not  find  that 
he  took  his  seat  in  the  House. 

Before  leaving  Bulawayo,  he  had  been  drawn  for  the 
first  and  last  time  in  his  life  into  writing  a  preface  to 
an  excellent  book  of  travel  then  about  to  appear.  His 
unusual  compliance  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  author 
was  a  young  man,  and  one  who  had  exhibited,  during 
an  arduous  journey  in  Africa,  a  remarkable  combination 
of  pluck  and  common-sense,  that  appealed  strongly  to 
Rhodes.  The  writer,  in  short,  was  Mr.  E.  S.  Grogan, 
and  the  book  was  the  now  well-known  work  The  Cape 
to  Cairo. 

The  preface  contributed  by  Rhodes  was  as  follows: — 

"Government  House, 

Bulawayo,  'jth  Sept.,  1900. 
"My  dear  Grogan, — You  ask  me  to   write  you   a 
short  introduction  for  your  book,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say 
that  literary  composition  is  not  one  of  my  gifts,  my  cor- 


NEARING  THE  END  295 

respondence  and  replies  being  conducted  by  telegrams. 

"I  must  say  I  envy  you,  for  you  have  done  that  which 
has  been  for  centuries  the  ambition  of  every  explorer, 
namely,  to  walk  through  Africa  from  South  to  North. 
The  amusement  of  the  whole  thing  is  that  a  youth  from 
Cambridge,  during  his  vacation,  should  have  succeeded 
in  doing  that  which  the  ponderous  explorers  of  the  world 
have  failed  to  accomplish.  There  is  a  distinct  humour  in 
the  whole  thing.  It  makes  me  the  more  certain  that  we 
shall  complete  the  telegraph  and  railway,  for  surely  I 
am  not  going  to  be  beaten  by  the  legs  of  a  Cambridge 
undergraduate. 

"Your  success  the  more  confirms  one's  belief.  The 
schemes  described  by  Sir  William  Harcourt  as  'wild  cat' 
you  have  proved  are  capable  of  being  completed,  even 
in  that  excellent  gentleman's  lifetime. 

"As  to  the  commercial  aspect,  every  one  supposes  that 
the  railway  is  being  built  with  the  only  object  that  a 
human  being  may  be  able  to  get  in  at  Cairo,  and  get  out 
at  Cape  Town. 

"This  is,  of  course,  ridiculous.  The  object  is  to  cut 
Africa  through  the  centre,  and  the  railway  will  pick  up 
trade  all  along  the  route.  The  junctions  to  the  East  and 
West  coasts,  which  will  occur  in  the  future,  will  be  out- 
lets for  the  traffic  obtained  along  the  route  of  the  line 
as  it  passes  through  the  centre  of  Africa.  At  any  rate, 
up  to  Bulawayo,  where  I  am  now,  it  has  been  a  payable 
undertaking,  and  I  still  think  it  will  continue  to  be  so 
as  we  advance  into  the  far  interior.  We  propose  now 
to  go  on  and  cross  the  Zambesi  just  below  the  Victoria 
Falls.  I  should  like  to  have  the  spray  of  the  water  over 
the  carriages. 


296  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

"I  can  but  finish  by  again  congratulating  you,  and  by 
saying  that  your  success  has  given  me  great  encourage- 
ment in  the  work  that  I  have  still  to  accomplish. 
Yours,  C.  J.  Rhodes." 

On  loth  October,  Rhodes  delivered  an  important 
speech  at  the  Congress  of  the  South  African  League, 
of  which  he  had  been  elected  President — a  speech  that 
traversed  much  debatable  ground  and  dealt  with  all  the 
South  African  problems  of  the  day.  His  objection  to 
lukewarm  followers  was  amusingly  stated  at  the  outset. 

"What,"  he  said,  "I  would  point  out  to  you  is  that 
the  practice  in  older  countries  having  parliamentary  gov- 
ernment is  to  divide  into  two  parties.  In  England  there 
are  Liberals  and  Conservatives.  With  us  there  are  Pro- 
gressives and  the  Bond.  It  should  be  distinctly  under- 
stood, that  you  cannot  sit  on  a  fence.  (Loud  cheers.) 
You  must  take  party  government  with  its  rules  and  bow 
to  the  majority  of  your  party.  If  you  conscience  tells 
you  that  you  cannot  go  with  your  party,  your  duty  is  to 
resign  and  ask  your  constituents  to  confirm  your  position 
or  reject  you.  But  this  is  not  my  experience  In  this 
country.  When  first  I  entered  the  House  it  was  con- 
sidered the  right  thing  to  say  you  belonged  to  no  party, 
and  you  would  decide  each  question  as  conscience  might 
direct.  Well,  it  is  an  excellent  theory,  but  it  won't  work. 
(Laughter.)  Now  I  will  tell  you  what  happened  in  this 
country.  You  have  heard  that  so-and-so,  and  so-and-so 
was  the  cause  of  the  war.  I  will  tell  you  the  cause  of 
the  war.  We  had  a  party  in  the  Assembly  called  Mug- 
wumps, and  they  caused  the  war,  and  I  will  show  you 
why." 


NEARING  THE  END  297 

He  then  proceeded  to  show  how  on  the  Redistribution 
Bill,  as  introduced,  the  Progressives  would  have  had  the 
majority  to  which  they  were  equitably  entitled,  but  the 
Mugwumps  wrecked  the  measure  on  a  plea  of  conscience, 
and  placed  their  own  invertebrate  party  in  power. 

"I  hold,"  he  added,  "that  if  we  had  carried  the  Bill, 
and  had  a  majority  in  the  House,  Kruger  would  not  have 
dared  to  throw  down  the  gauntlet  to  Her  Majesty's 
Government.  These  are  hard  facts,  and  so,  in  a  way, 
we  owe  the  war  to  the  Mugwumps." 

He  went  on  to  congratulate  the  members  of  the  League 
on  having  risked  their  lives  for  their  opinions,  and  he 
strongly  urged  early  preparation  for  the  next  general 
election.  Recognising  the  obligations  of  capital,  he  de- 
clared that  De  Beers  had  done  its  duty  in  protecting  Kim- 
berley,  and  in  founding  a  great  Cold  Storage  Company 
to  cheapen  to  the  poor  man  the  price  of  meat,  which  the 
exigencies  of  war  had  unduly  raised. 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  he  continued,  "we  have  had  a 
great  battle,  not  with  the  Dutch — (cheers) — but  with 
Krugerism.  (Cheers.)  We  must  say  of  this  wretched 
racial  feeling — we  will  have  none  of  it.  Let  us  drop 
disputes,  evacuate  our  hostile  camps  and  work  for  closer 
union  with  one  another  and  the  mother  country." 

Soon  after  delivering  this  speech,  Rhodes  was  laid 
up  with  a  bad  touch  of  fever — imbibed  no  doubt  during 
his  recent  Rhodesian  tour — and  it  was  not  until  17th 
November  that  he  was  pronounced  convalescent  and  able 
to  resume  his  morning  ride. 

Even  during  this  illness  he  was  busy.  Early  in  the 
month  he  gave  £300  towards  the  building  of  the  Cape 
Town  Cathedral,   and   a  handsome   Challenge   Cup   to 


298  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

the  Frontier  Districts  Rifle  Association  in  order  to  en- 
courage accurate  shooting.  In  December  he  collected 
a  large  number  of  Transvaal  refugees  and  gave  them  a 
dinner  at  Groote  Schuur,  which  he  personally  at- 
tended. 

About  this  time  an  English  correspondent  writes  to 
me,  "Lord  Salisbury  says,  and  I  agree,  that  Rhodes 
should  come  out  into  the  open  and  assume  the  Prime 
Ministership." 

A  day  after  his  address  to  the  League  a  highly  placed 
Dutch  official,  on  reading  it,  wrote  to  Rhodes,  "I  am 
always  telling  my  Afrikander  friends  that  you  are  their 
best  friend,  if  they  will  only  recognise  the  fact." 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  Rhodes  would  have  responded  to  the  call,  with 
what  result  it  is  idle  to  speculate.  But  imperative  con- 
siderations of  health  intervened.  He  was  under  no  illu- 
sions. His  life's  work  was  practically  done.  The  in- 
exorable shadow  that  stands  ever  closer  and  closer  to 
us  all  was  already  beckoning  him  with  decisive  gesture, 
of  the  meaning  of  which  he  was  well  aware.  For  a 
while  he  struggled  strenuously  on,  performing  important 
duties  with  all  his  old  masterful  power,  but  the  House 
of  Assembly  was  to  hear  him  no  more:  the  shareholders 
in  the  great  Corporations  he  had  created  had  no  further 
opportunity  of  listening  to  his  rough  persuasive 
eloquence:  the  day  was  far  spent  and  the  night  was  at 
hand. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year  a  general  officer,  who 
had  made  his  acquaintance  during  the  war,  wrote  to 
him,  "I  told  the  Queen  you  and  Gordon  were  the  same 
man,  but  with  different  methods.     This  fairly  made  Her 


NEARING  THE  END  299 

Majesty  jump,  but  she  saw  the  point.  I  gave  her  your 
message." 

A  message — I  venture  to  think — expressing  his  un- 
faltering loyalty  to  her  throne  and  person. 

Another  correspondent  writes  to  him  from  the  Hague, 
"I  have  just  seen  Kruger,  Leyds,  Fischer,  Wessels,  Wol- 
marans.  Van  Alphen,  Boeschoten  and  others,  and  found 
them  all  obdurate  except  Leyds,  who  thought,  if  you  came 
forward,  you  might  do  something." 

He  was  still  deeply  interested  in  securing  official 
recognition  of  his  rights  over  Barotseland,  concerning 
which  some  doubts  had  arisen.  On  7th  December  he 
was  cheered  by  the  receipt  of  the  following  communica- 
tion from  the  Administrator  of  North-Western 
Rhodesia : — 

"I  arrived  at  Lealui  on  7th  October  and  have  got  both 
the  new  Concessions  signed  by  Lewanika  and  seven  of 
his  highest  chiefs  with  five  witnesses.  The  full  Council 
of  twenty-seven  Indunas  was  present  at  the  three  pre- 
ceding Indabas  and  at  the  execution  of  the  documents. 
Both  are  on  parchment  and  the  king  has 
duplicates." 

With  this  gleam  of  sunshine  a  stormy  year  drew  to  a 
close. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE  LAST  YEAR  (1901) 

Scholarship  founded — Shangani  Monument — Honoured  Dead  Memorial 
— Mowbray  Hostel — Plague  Camp — Chinese  Labour — Meeting  of 
S.A.  League  at  Mafeking — Helps  Kimberley  Town  Council — Visits 
Bulawayo — Speaks  there — Plans  a  seaside  residence — Troubled  by 
forgeries — Visits  England — Takes  Rannoch  Lodge — Visits  Italy 
and  Egypt — Returns  to  England — Purchases  Dalham — Projects 
a  Land  Scheme. 

The  year  1900  passed  away,  and  It  was  well  into  1901 
before  Rhodes  succeeded  in  arranging  his  proposed  visit 
to  England.  His  final  Will  was  already  executed,  and 
he  dwelt  much,  and  with  satisfaction,  on  those  of  its 
provisions  which  dealt  with  his  great  Scholarship  scheme. 
But  he  began  to  manifest  feelings  of  pardonable  curi- 
osity as  to  how  they  would  work  in  actual  practice,  that 
Is,  whether  It  would  be  feasible  to  elect  his  scholars 
by  the  joint  decision  of  examiners,  headmasters  and 
schoolmates.  The  idea  was  novel,  and  some  of  his 
friends  asserted  that  it  would  not  work.  To  test  the 
matter — if  possible,  in  his  own  lifetime — he  determined 
to  found  at  once  an  experimental  scholarship  on  the  lines 
of  his  Will  at  the  Diocesan  College,  Rondebosch,  an 
Institution  within  his  own  Province,  in  which  he  took  a 
strong  interest. 

On  28th  February,  therefore,  he  addressed  a  letter 
to  the  Archbishop  of  Cape  Town,  as  Chairman  of  the 
College  Council,  in  which  he  offered  a  scholarship  at 
Oxford,   worth  £250   a  year,   to   come   into   immediate 


THE  LAST  YEAR  301 

operation.  After  describing  the  method  of  election,  he 
concluded  with  these  words,  "I  do  not  know  whether 
your  governing  body  will  accept  this  rather  complicated 
scholarship,  but  it  is  an  effort  to  change  the  dull  monotony 
of  modern  competition.  There  must  have  been  some 
pleasure  In  viewing  contests  in  the  Gymnasium  at  Athens. 
I  am  sure  there  Is  none  in  a  modern  competitive  examina- 
tion. But  the  more  practical  point  Is,  do  we,  under  our 
system,  get  the  best  man  for  the  world's  fight?" 

During  March  he  was  gratified  at  hearing  that 
Tweed's  bronze  panels  for  the  ShanganI  Monument  were 
approaching  completion,  as  he  was  anxious  to  erect  in 
the  Matopos  a  lasting  memorial  to  Allan  Wilson  and 
his  brave  men  who  perished  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ShanganI 
River. 

With  a  similar  desire  to  honour  the  fallen,  he  also 
threw  himself  Into  the  project  of  erecting  in  Kimberley 
an  "Honoured  Dead  Memorial"  to  Scott-Turner  and 
those  of  his  comrades  who  fell  gloriously  in  Its  defence. 

Few  travellers  now  visit  South  Africa  without  paying 
a  tribute  of  admiration  to  these  magnificent  structures. 

In  the  same  month  he  took  steps  to  found  at  Mow- 
bray, near  Cape  Town,  a  hostel  or  home  for  British 
immigrants — women  who  can  thus,  upon  arrival  In  a 
strange  land,  be  sure  of  a  temporary  shelter  until  they 
secure  employment.  The  Institution,  which  Is  still  In 
existence,  is  under  the  auspices  of  the  South  African  Im- 
migration Association,  of  which  the  devoted  President 
Is  H.R.H.  the  Princess  Christian. 

About  this  time  or  a  little  earlier,  he  offered  ground 
on  the  Groote  Schuur  Estate  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
a    Military   Plague    Camp,   that   dread    disease    having 


302  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

effected  a  lodgment  at  Cape  Town.  Many  men — but  he 
was  not  one  of  them — would  have  hesitated  to  allow 
the  formation  of  such  a  camp  so  near  his  own  residence. 
The  following  letter  bears  on  the  case : — 

"Base  Commandant's  Office,  The  Castle, 
Cape  Town,  April  6th,  1901. 
Proposed  Camp  at  Groote  Schtiur. 
From  Base  Commandant,  Cape  Town. 
To  Right  Honble.  Cecil  Rhodes. 

"Sir, — In  reference  to  our  conversation  some  weeks 
ago  when  you  kindly  gave  permission  to  form  a  Plague 
Camp  on  your  ground  at  Groote  Schuur  should  it  un- 
fortunately be  necessary  to  form  a  separate  Plague  Camp 
for  soldiers,  I  am  now  writing  to  tell  you  how  highly 
your  liberality  was  appreciated  by  the  General  Officer 
Commanding  the  Lines  of  Communication  and  also  by 
the  Medical  Military  Authorities.  Unfortunately  we  are 
unable  to  avail  ourselves  of  your  permission,  as  the 
Colonial  Government  are  very  averse  to  forming  a 
Plague  Camp  on  the  site  selected,  and  In  deference  to 
His  Excellency  the  Governor's  wishes  the  General  has 
directed  a  site  to  be  sought  elsewhere. 

"Again  thanking  you  for  the  prompt  and  courteous 
way  in  which  you  met  my  request,  and  expressing  my 
extreme  regret  that  an  ideal  site  for  an  infectious  disease 
camp  should  be  lost  at  the  present  moment. — I  have  the 
honour  to  be,  Sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Sffd.)  "H.  Cooper,  Colonel, 

"Commanding  the  Base." 

On    22nd   March    Rhodes    again   visited    Kimberley, 


THE  LAST  YEAR  303 

working  with  great  application  there  until  22nd  May, 
when  he  went  on  to  Bulawayo. 

As  dealing  with  the  question,  which  subsequently 
assumed  political  prominence,  of  the  proposed  intro- 
duction into  South  Africa  of  indentured  Chinese  labour,  I 
may  here  quote  the  views  of  Rhodes.  On  13th  March, 
1 901,  the  matter  came  before  the  Mashonaland  Chamber 
of  Mines  at  Salisbury,  and  the  principle  of  Asiatic  im- 
migration was  almost  unanimously  affirmed.  The  only 
dissentient  speaker  warned  the  Chamber  that  Mr. 
Rhodes,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  had  strongly  advised 
Rhodesia  to  keep  the  Chinese  out  of  the  country. 

On  7th  June,  1901,  Mafeking — a  year  or  so  after  its 
relief — made  a  great  demonstration  of  flamboyant  loyalty 
under  the  auspices  of  the  South  African  League. 
The  gallant  little  town  after  all  its  sufferings  may  be 
pardoned,  I  think,  for  the  vehemence  of  its  patriotism. 
Otherwise  one  might  be  tempted  to  smile  at  the  very 
stalwart  resolutions  adopted  by  the  meeting.  One  was 
to  this  effect:  "That  English  be  the  sole  official  language 
In  South  Africa,  and  the  medium  of  instruction  in  public 
schools." 

Another  ran:  "That  the  suspension  of  Responsible 
Government  in  the  Cape  Colony  for  a  time  is  impera- 
tively necessary  to  secure  peace  and  loyalty." 

A  third  resolution,  carried  unanimously,  was  as 
follows:  "That  this  meeting  considers  the  suppression 
of  the  Bond,  as  a  seditious  organisation  dangerous  to  the 
peace  and  welfare  of  the  country,  the  first  essential  step 
to  a  satisfactory  settlement." 

I  quote  these  utterances  as  illustrating  the  depth  of 
feeling  on  the  part  of  British-born  subjects  of  the  Crown 


304  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

smarting  under  the  strain  of  a  great  war,  fomented  and 
kept  alive,  in  their  opinion,  by  fellow-citizens,  equally 
subjects,  who  gave  to  their  Government  at  best  lip-loyalty, 
and,  in  many  cases,   active  resistance. 

The  meeting  proceeded  to  discuss  the  position,  as- 
suming that  their  wishes  were  complied  with,  and,  not 
unnaturally,  they  decided  that  no  one  but  Rhodes  was 
capable  of  dealing,  as  Prime  Minister,  with  the  delicate 
situation. 

His  conception  of  his  duties  was,  however,  of  a  dif- 
ferent nature.  Studiously  effacing  himself  so  far  as 
politics  were  concerned,  he  divided  his  time  between 
Kimberley  and  the  North. 

At  Kimberley  he  persuaded  the  De  Beers  Mines,  not- 
withstanding their  grave  losses,  to  extricate  the  local 
Municipality  from  financial  embarrassment  by  a  grant 
of  £8000  a  year  for  three  years,  and  then,  on  22nd  May, 
though  the  route  was  still  somewhat  unsafe,  he  proceeded 
to  Bulawayo,  arriving  there  with  Dr.  Jameson  on  25th 
May.  Five  days  later  he  met  the  Chamber  of  Mines, 
and  early  in  June  he  made  two  short  speeches  on  matters 
of  local  concern. 

On  15th  June  he  laid  the  foundation  stone  of  the  Vol- 
unteer Drill  Hall  and,  in  the  course  of  a  speech,  dealt 
with  various  questions. 

On  the  subject  of  the  Charter  he  said,  "We — that  is, 
the  Chartered  Company — are  only  temporary.  We  are 
preparing  the  way  for  you.  We  shall  be  only  too  ready 
to  part  with  the  position  of  administrators  when  you 
are  ready  for  self-government." 

On  the  question  of  Federation  he  said,  "The  con- 
sideration of  statesmen  will  shortly  be  the  unity  of  South 


THE  LAST  YEAR  305 

Africa,  and  you  must  get  ready  for  that.  You  must 
be  prepared  for  the  time  when  a  scheme  of  federation 
will  be  submitted.  .  .  .  This  great  dominant  North 
— and  I  call  It  a  dominant  North — with  the  Transvaal, 
will  dictate  the  federation.  .  .  .  The  whole  situation 
lies  with  the  Northern  States  and  nothing  can  alter  it." 
Regarding  the  part  taken  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Rhodesia,  he  said,  "If  there  is  one  thing  that  the  people 
of  this  country  feel,  it  is  that  they  are  assisting  in  a  new 
development.  I  would  put  It  to  you  that  after  all,  even 
now  at  the  saddest  time,  when  you  are  worried — if  I 
might  put  it  so — with  a  scarcity  of  capital,  worried  with 
the  many  difficulties  of  a  new  country,  would  you  prefer 
to  be  here  or  on  the  old  spot  that  you  came  from,  here 
sharing  in  the  interests  of  a  creation?  This  is  surely  a 
happier  thing  than  the  deadly  monotony  of  an  English 
country  town,  or  the  still  more  deadly  mediocrity  of  a 
Karoo  village?  Here,  at  any  rate,  you  have  your  share 
in  the  creation  of  a  new  country,  you  have  to  deal  with 
those  extraordinary  questions  which  arise  in  a  new  coun- 
try, and  you  have  the  proud  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
you  are  civilising  a  new  part  of  the  world.  Those  who 
fall  in  that  creation  fall  sooner  than  they  would  have 
done  in  ordinary  life,  but  their  lives  are  the  better  and 
grander.  For  myself,  every  time  I  go  home  It  is  a  satis- 
faction to  me  to  see  the  progress  of  the  panels  represent- 
ing the  death  of  Allan  Wilson  and  his  party.  I  hope 
shortly  to  be  able  to  erect  them  in  the  Matopos.  This 
is  no  new  idea,  as  I  am  simply  copying  Mosillkatze  (the 
first  king  of  the  Matabele).  I  found  him  sitting  In  his 
cave  (where  at  his  request  they  had  placed  him  after 
his  death)   looking  over  the  wide  Matopos.     It  is  the 


3o6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

idea  and  the  thought  of  the  native  Matabele — all  we 
have  done  is  to  copy  his  thought,  and  if  I  could  make 
a  suggestion  to  you,  it  is  that  when  a  mausoleum  is  built 
the  idea  should  be  considered  of  recovering  from  the 
unknown  veld  the  remains  of  the  various  friends  of  yours 
who,  as  Rhodesians,  have  fallen  and  are  buried  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  Transvaal,  Orange  River  Colony  and  the 
Bechuanaland  Protectorate.  Their  graves  are  being  well 
cared  for  in  the  first  instance,  but  protections  fail,  the 
wild  beasts  come  in,  and  if  you  think  of  a  hundred  years 
hence,  there  will  be  little  to  record  their  existence.  It  is 
a  question  whether  we  should  not  take  the  opportunity 
of  gradually  with  reverence  collecting  their  bodies  and 
placing  them  in  a  mausoleum  in  this  country  as  a  record 
of  those  who  not  only  have  done  their  best  to  assist 
in  the  creation  of  this  new  territory,  but  who  also,  when 
called  upon  by  their  Sovereign  to  assist  in  the  maintenance 
of  the  Empire's  position  in  South  Africa,  left  their  work 
and  gave  up  their  lives  to  prove  that,  wherever  we  live, 
as  Englishmen  we  never  forget  our  country." 

On  1 8th  June,  at  the  request  of  the  Town  Council,  he 
inspected  their  farm,  and  on  21st  June  he  presented  the 
prizes  at  St.  John's  School  and  made  an  excellent  speech. 

"I  hear,"  he  said,  "there  are  over  100  children  in  the 
school:  six  years  ago  there  were  only  little  barbarians 
in  this  locality.  Education  is  the  whole  difference  be- 
tween barbarism  and  civilisation.  This  is  perhaps  the 
only  country  in  the  world  where  an  attempt  is  being  made 
to  solve  the  religious  difficulty  in  education,  by  allowing 
the  children  to  be  taught  their  different  religions  in  the 
same  school.  If  your  children  were  at  a  Board  School  in 
England,  you  might  hear  a  chapter  of  the  Bible  read, 


THE  LAST  YEAR  307 

but  if  you  asked  the  teacher,  "What  does  that  mean?" 
he  would  not  be  allowed  to  answer  you.  He  can  read  the 
Bible  to  you,  but  must  not  answer  questions.  It  is  most 
ridiculous  for  one  of  the  most  advanced  countries  in  the 
world.  But  we  have  a  system,  that  for  half  an  hour 
in  the  morning  the  clergy  of  each  Church  can  teach  their 
special  dogmas  to  the  children  of  the  members  of  their 
congregations,  but  the  boy  whose  father  does  not  want 
him  to  have  any  religious  teaching  does  not  get  play- 
ground— he  gets  geography.  (Laughter.)  We  have, 
I  believe,  hit  on  a  solution  which  is  going  to  work.  In 
England  a  Board  School  can  have  no  religion.  I  think 
this  is  a  mistake,  just  as  I  think  it  is  a  mistake  in  Australia, 
that  they  have  excluded  religion  from  the  schools. 
It  is  an  absolute  mistake,  because  a  child  at  school  is  at 
that  period  of  its  life  when  it  is  most  pliable  to  thought, 
and  if  you  remove  from  it  all  thought  of  religion,  I  don't 
think  you  make  it  a  better  human  being.  I  am  quite 
clear  that  a  child  brought  up  religiously  is  a  better  human 
being.  I  am  quite  sure  that  to  couple  the  ordinary  school 
teaching  with  some  religious  instruction  is  better  than 
to  dismiss  religion  from  within  the  walls  of  the  school. 
Their  school  years  are  the  years  in  which  to  tell  the 
children  that  there  is  one  thing  in  life  better  than  material 
instruction,  and  that  is  religious  belief." 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  this  was  almost  the  last 
public  utterance  of  a  great  man  not  over  given  to  senti- 
mental emotion,  but  who,  after  a  stormy  life,  and  within 
a  few  months  of  his  own  death,  went  out  of  his  way  to 
disclaim  all  desire  for,  or  sympathy  with,  a  national  sys- 
tem of  Godless  education. 

On  24th  June,  Rhodes  was  back  at  Kimberley  on  his 


3o8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

way  to  Cape  Town,  and  busied  himself  on  the  way  down 
with  the  plans  of  a  house  he  was  proposing  to  build 
at  St.  James's  near  Muizenberg,  a  seaside  resort  of  which 
he  was  becoming  increasingly  fond.  On  2nd  July,  he 
arrived  at  Groote  Schuur,  but  the  next  day  he  sailed 
for  England,  accompanied  by  several  old  friends.  His 
equanimity  was  somewhat  disturbed  by  an  annoying  in- 
cident of  recent  occurrence.  On  5th  June,  I  had  been 
under  the  necessity  of  telegraphing  to  him  that  various 
forged  bills,  bearing  his  name,  were  in  circulation. 

On  20th  July,  he  arrived  at  Southampton  and  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  London,  where  for  a  few  days  he 
transacted  business,  but  declined  to  be  interviewed  on 
the  plea  that  he  was  no  longer  a  public  man.  He  had, 
some  months  before,  hired  Rannoch  Lodge,  in  Perth- 
shire, from  Sir  Robert  Menzies,  and  on  31st  July  he 
left  by  the  night  mail  for  that  place,  where  he  and  a 
small  party  enjoyed  the  shooting.  Even  there,  however, 
his  thoughts  were  on  his  Will,  and  on  25th  August,  he 
addressed  a  remarkable  letter  to  one  of  his  designated 
Trustees,  giving  expression  to  the  view  he  hoped  and 
believed  would  prevail  on  his  decease,  as  to  the  disposi- 
tion of  his  surplus  revenues  after  payment  of  the  annual 
expense  of  his  Scholarship  scheme. 

The  keen  northern  air  seemed  to  benefit  him  a  little, 
but  the  improvement  was  only  temporary.  On  6th 
October,  he  was  again  in  London  on  his  way  to  the 
Continent,  arriving  at  the  Hotel  des  Thermes,  Salso 
Maggiore,  on  i6th  October. 

Early  in  November,  he  was  at  Bologna,  motoring 
from  there  to  the  Hotel  de  Londres,  Verona,  and  pro- 
ceeding on  the  9th  of  that  month  to  Venice.     A  fort- 


THE  LAST  YEAR  309 

night  later  he  was  In  Egypt,  on  his  way  to  Khartum,  but 
the  heat  affected  his  heart,  and  he  returned  to  England 
before  the  end  of  the  year.  Meanwhile  he  was  kept 
continuously  posted  In  South  African  affairs  by  his 
numerous  Colonial  correspondents. 

The  following  telegram  was,  I  am  sure,  gratifying  to 
him: 

"RoNDEBOSCH,  Cape  Town,  Augiist  20,  1 901. 
"To  Rhodes,  Rannoch,  Aberfeldy,  Scotland. 

"We  have  spent  a  very  pleasant  day  at  Groote  Schuur, 
and  much  admired  your  charming  house  and  place.  We 
much  regret  your  absence.  The  Duchess  is  most  grateful 
for  the  beautiful  diamonds  presented  to  her  by  the  De 
Beers  Company.     I  am  writing  this  In  your  own  room. 

{Sgd.)  "George,  Duke  of  Cornwall  and  York." 

But  In  addition  to  the  suffering  attending  failing  health, 
and  to  anxiety  he  felt  at  the  unexpected  prolongation  of 
the  war,  he  was  for  some  months  still  worried  by 
the  discovery,  time  after  time,  of  forgeries  bearing  his 
name.  During  September,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of 
advising  him  repeatedly  on  this  painful  subject,  and  the 
shock  to  his  simple  trustful  nature  was  Immense. 

He  found  time,  however,  to  pay  his  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  memory  of  the  late  Empress  Frederick,  as  the 
following  telegram  will  show: — 

"Kaiserllch  Deutsche  Botschaft  In  London. 

"Count  P.  Metternich,  German  Minister  on  special 
mission  In  charge  of  the  German  Embassy,  presents  his 
compliments  to  the  Right  Honourable  Cecil  Rhodes,  and 


310  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

has  the  honour  to  inform  him  that  he  has  been  instructed 
to  convey  to  him  the  thanks  and  warm  appreciation  of 
his  Majesty  the  Emperor  and  King  for  the  wreath  which 
was  sent  on  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  the  Empress  Fred- 
erick. The  wreath  has  been  placed  on  the  hearse  of  Her 
late  Imperial  Majesty. 

"German  Embassy,  London, 
"September  25//?,  1901." 

On  2 1  St  November,  writing  to  me  from  the  Savoy 
Hotel,  Cairo,  he  declared  himself  to  be  "very  fit,"  but 
the  whole  tenor  of  his  letter  was  so  clearly  designed  to 
adjust  various  long  outstanding  business  obligations  with 
as  little  delay  as  possible  that  I  drew  from  it  the  mourn- 
ful inference  that  he  believed  his  time  to  be  short. 

On  3rd  December,  writing  from  the  Dahabeah  Oonas 
on  the  Nile,  he  was  more  specific.  "You  will  be  glad 
to  hear,"  he  says,  "I  am  better.  The  heart  has  quieted 
down,  though  I  still  have  pain,  which  they  say  is  the 
enlarged  heart  pressing  on  the  lung.  The  great  thing 
is  rest." 

But  rest  was  the  one  thing  denied  to  him.  About  this 
time  the  Editor  of  a  great  London  paper  was  writing, 
"Won't  you  see  Rhodes  and  tell  him  he  must  come  back? 

says  either  Rhodes  or  suspension.     You  might  tell 

him  this.  But  he  should  be  here  soon.  I  have  faith 
enough  in  that  man  to  believe  that  he,  and  he  alone,  can 
end  the  war  quickly  and  not  disgracefully." 

While  in  Egypt,  Rhodes  lost  no  opportunity  of  study- 
ing its  agricultural  problems,  believing  that  its  immem- 
orial experience  might  be  serviceable  to  Rhodesia. 
Writing  to  his  agent  in  Bulawayo  in  December,  he  said, 


THE  LAST  YEAR  311 

"With  good  land  such  as  we  have  got,  and  plenty  of 
water  which  we  will  have,  for  I  mean  to  begin  the  exten- 
sion of  the  catchment  area  in  winter,  there  is  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  grow  good  crops,  but  we  must  begin 
with  the  water  we  have  got,  which  will  irrigate  300  acres. 

"You  and  I,"  he  went  on,  "will  be  the  laughing-stocks 
of  the  country  if,  after  spending  twenty-five  thousand 
pounds  to  get  water,  we  have  not  the  brains  to  find  a  man 
or  men  to  use  it  properly,  and  make  a  success  of  the 
land.  Let  us  set  to  work.  I  give  you  a  free  hand  again, 
so  get  a  good  man.  I  will  be  with  you  in  four  months, 
and  we  will  discuss  what  crops  to  lay  down.  I  think 
lucerne  should  be  one  of  the  largest." 

On  one  occasion  he  saw  a  mealie  (Indian  corn)  which 
seemed  to  do  well  with  very  little  water,  and  his  prac- 
tical mind  at  once  seized  on  the  likelihood  of  its  being 
successful  In  Matabeleland,  which  had  been  suffering 
from  a  partial  drought;  and  he  ordered  some  of  the  seed 
to  be  sent  to  Bulawayo,  to  be  planted  on  his  farm,  and 
then,  If  It  turned  out  successfully,  he  desired  that  the  seed 
should  be  distributed  broadcast  throughout  the  country. 
It  was  found  that  the  grain  was  a  good  drought  resister 
and  came  to  maturity  very  rapidly,  and  it  has  now  spread 
all  over  Rhodesia. 

On  the  same  visit,  the  Idea  struck  him  that  the  Egyp- 
tian donkey,  though  smaller  in  bone,  was  so  much  better 
In  speed  than  the  South  African  animal  that  it  would  be 
an  excellent  thing  to  cross  the  two  breeds  and  with  this 
end  in  view,  he  bought  two  dozen  good  Egyptian  stal- 
lions, and  sent  them  to  Rhodesia,  where  their  offspring 
show  to-day  the  great  Improvement  of  the  Imported 
strain. 


312  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

The  close  of  the  year  1901,  found  Rhodes  still  in 
Egypt,  but  he  returned  to  England  in  January.  He  had 
purchased  from  the  Affleck  family  the  estate  of  Dalham 
In  Norfolk,  believing  that  the  keen  air  of  the  East  coast 
enabled  him  to  breathe  with  less  difficulty. 

In  December,  he  sent  to  the  Daily  Telegraph  copies  of 
communications  he  had  addressed  to  Lord  Mllner  and 
Mr.  Arnold-Forster,  on  the  subject  of  Land  Settlement 
in  South  Africa  on  the  conclusion  of  the  war. 

His  suggestions,  which  always  had  a  practical  basis, 
were  to  purchase  land  in  the  new  colonies,  while  it  was 
cheap,  and  to  settle  thereon  time  expired  soldiers,  and 
especially  Imperial  Yeomanry,  who  would  otherwise  have 
to  be  repatriated  at  great  cost.  He  pleaded  for  an  Im- 
perial guarantee  for  £3,000,000,  but  other  more  elabo- 
rate and  less  convincing  schemes  prevailed,  and  the  op- 
portunity of  trying  an  interesting  experiment  was  lost 
beyond  recall. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

CLOSING  DAYS 

Suspension  of  the  Constitution — Growing  infirmity — Removal  to 
Muizenberg — Letter  to  Archbishop — The  Matopo  Dam — Letter 
from  a  lady  correspondent  —  Daily  bulletins  —  Sufferings  —  Last 
hours — Death. 

The  Cape  Parliament,  prorogued  on  15th  October, 
1900,  did  not  meet  again  until  20th  August,  1902,  thus 
violating  the  letter  of  the  Constitution.  But  in  the  in- 
terval Martial  Law  prevailed  and  though,  owing  to  a 
special  agreement  between  the  Cape  Government  and  the 
Commander  of  the  Forces,  civil  administration  did  not 
wholly  cease,  Parliament  was  not  in  a  position  to  exercise 
its  ordinary  functions,  for  it  was  no  longer  supreme. 
Several  of  its  members  were  under  sequestration  as  "sus- 
pects." Some  were  fighting  loyally  for  the  throne;  one, 
at  least,  was  In  the  enemy's  camp;  but  the  bulk  were  sit- 
ting sullenly  on  their  estates.  To  this  pass  had  neutrality 
or  muddleheadedness  brought  the  great  body  of  Dutch 
gentlemen  who  once  were  the  devoted  followers  of 
Rhodes ! 

Under  these  circumstances,  and  as  the  Constitution  had 
virtually  suspended  itself,  there  is  much  excuse  for  the 
action  of  those  Colonists  who  now  petitioned  for  a  more 
formal  but  temporary  abrogation  of  their  cherished  Con- 
stitution. 

Foiled  in  their  efforts  to  capture  Kimberley,  Mafeking 


314  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

and  Ladysmlth,  scattered  Into  small  commandoes  by  the 
overwhelming  forces  of  the  Empire,  the  Boers  were  now 
conducting  a  guerilla  warfare,  and  conducting  it  to  a 
great  extent  in  the  Cape  Colony  itself,  aided  and  abetted, 
covertly  or  openly,  by  British  subjects  of  Dutch  extrac- 
tion. 

A  Report  by  General  Smuts  to  his  Government,  pub- 
lished some  years  later,  is  conclusive  on  this  point. 

"Since  the  beginning  of  September,  1901,"  he  writes, 
"I  have  been  In  the  following  districts  of  the  Colony." 
He  proceeds  to  enumerate  twenty-eight  divisions  Into 
which  his  mobile  force  had  penetrated,  and  he  names 
seven  other  districts  visited  by  his  lieutenants.  It  was, 
of  course,  manifestly  impossible  for  these  Raids  to  have 
been  made  with  impunity  without  the  secret  co-operation 
of  the  inhabitants. 

A  petition  presented  to  the  Governor  opened  with  the 
undeniable  assertion  "That,  owing  to  the  prolongation 
of  the  war,  His  Majesty's  Parliament  in  the  Cape  Col- 
ony has  been  unable  to  meet  and  the  ordinary  registration 
of  voters,  as  provided  for  by  law,  has  not  been  carried 
out.  On  these  two  questions  the  Constitution  has  been 
practically  violated." 

The  petitioners  went  on  to  recite  that  it  would  be  Idle 
to  expect  Impartial  legislation,  or  obtain  an  indemnity 
for  acts  committed  under  Martial  Law,  or  confirmation 
of  the  unauthorised  expenditure  which  It  had  been  found 
necessary  to  Incur.  And  they  concluded.  "We  are 
strongly  of  opinion  that  the  proper  solution  of  the  prob- 
lems now  confronting  the  Colony  is  a  temporary  suspen- 
sion of  the  Constitution  for  a  period  during  which  His 
Majesty  would  be  enabled  to  deal  with  the  existing  diffi- 


CLOSING  DAYS  315 

culties,    and  afterwards  to   restore   the   Constitution  as 
amended." 

The  first  signature  attached  to  the  document  is  that  of 
C.  J.  Rhodes,  who  had  returned  to  the  Colony  in  connec- 
tion with  the  approaching  trial  for  forgery,  to  which  I 
have  already  alluded. 

The  suspension  of  the  Constitution  had  much  to  recom- 
mend it,  but  the  Colony  was  fairly  divided  on  the  subject 
and  the  petition  was,  wisely  I  think,  rejected. 

The  evidence  of  Rhodes  as  to  the  forgeries  could  have 
been  taken  on  commission,  but  he  was  true  to  his  invari- 
able policy  of  facing  the  music.  In  spite  of  the  resistance 
of  a  London  specialist  and  of  Dr.  Jameson,  he  sailed 
from  Southampton  on  i8th  January,  promising  to  return 
on  the  conclusion  of  the  trial. 

It  was  evident  on  his  arrival  in  February  that  he  was 
desperately  ill,  the  heat  of  the  tropics  having  seriously 
affected  him.  It  was  pathetic  to  see  him  when  he  gave 
evidence  at  the  preliminary  examination,  which  resulted 
in  the  accused  being  committed  for  trial.  In  due  time  a 
conviction  was  secured,  but  Rhodes  was,  alas!  no  more. 

During  February  he  continued  on  occasions,  as  his 
physical  strength  permitted,  to  take  an  interest  in  public 
affairs.  I  was  present  at  a  Conference  between  Rhodes 
and  a  representative  of  Lord  Kitchener  to  deal  with  an 
intricate  question  of  Colonial  accounts,  and  I  never  saw 
the  financial  genius  and  robust  common-sense  of  Rhodes 
shine  with  a  steadier  light.  His  mental  powers  were 
absolutely  unimpaired,  but  his  thoughts  were  for  others, 
and  he  worked  strenuously  to  settle  all  open  questions 
and  leave  behind  him  a  clear  slate. 

Abandoning  Groote  Schuur,  he  took  up  his  residence 


3i6  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

in  his  humble  cottage  at  Muizenberg,  surrounded  by  three 
or  four  of  his  staunchest  and  most  intimate  friends. 
From  there,  in  February,  he  addressed  the  following 
kindly  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of  Cape  Town: — 

"Muizenberg,  February,  1902. 

"My  dear  Archbishop, — I  was  glad  to  hear  that  the 
test  for  the  scholarship  passed  off  well,  and  up  to  the 
present  there  are  no  amendments  suggested,  but  we  must 
watch  carefully  and  improve  as  we  gain  experience.  I 
have  been  looking  into  the  question  and  have  an  amend- 
ment to  make.  I  find  £250  per  annum  is  sufficient  for 
Oxford,  but  then  the  young  fellow  spends  six  months 
with  his  people.  Our  young  South  African  will  be  with- 
out a  home  to  run  to  and  will  have  to  pay  for  himself  for 
twelve  months  as  against  the  ordinary  undergraduate 
who  lives  on  his  people  for  six  months.  I  think  there- 
fore one  must  increase  the  scholarship  to  £300  per 
annum.  I  send  you  a  cheque  for  £1800,  which  will  pro- 
vide for  the  next  six  years,  by  which  time  it  is  probable 
that  the  provisions  of  my  Will  may  have  come  into  force 
under  which  a  continuance  of  our  attempt  is  provided 
for. 

"You  will  be  glad  to  know  that  I  have  obtained  from 
some  friends  a  provision  for  a  similar  scholarship  for 
the  Kimberley  Public  School. 

"I  am  thankful  to  you  for  undertaking  the  experiment 
which  is  a  scholarship  for  a  combination  of  mental,  moral 
and  physical  qualities. 

"Who  knows  it  may  be  the  grain  of  mustard  seed 
which  produces  the  largest  tree? — Yours, 

"C.  J.  Rhodes." 


CLOSING  DAYS  317 

The  Archbishop,  In  sending  me  this  letter,  added: 
"The  last  conversation  I  had  with  him  was  a  few  weeks 
before  his  death.  It  was  known  that  his  life  was  ex- 
tremely uncertain,  and  I  felt  It  was  my  duty  to  have  a 
conversation  of  a  serious  kind  with  him.  This  was  too 
sacred  for  me  to  enter  upon  here.  I  need  say  only  that 
he  expressed  himself  most  gratefully  to  me  for  what  I 
had  said  to  him,  with  the  hope  that  he  would  see  me 
again.  This  was  never  realised.  I  was  shortly  after- 
wards compelled  to  leave  home,  and  when  I  returned  I 
was  not  permitted  to  see  him.  He  was  then  within  a 
day  or  two  of  his  end. 

"Whatever  Mr.  Rhodes's  faults  may  have  been,  I 
shall  always  believe  that  he  was  at  heart  a  really  religious 
man,  and  of  his  noble  Ideals  and  breadth  of  view  there 
cannot,  I  think,  be  any  doubt  in  any  unprejudiced  mind." 

Towards  the  end  of  February  he  summoned  from 
Rhodesia  the  tenant  to  whom  he  had  entrusted  the  work 
of  cultivating  the  valley  below  his  great  Dam  in  the 
Matopos,  and  having  signed  a  new  agreement  with  him, 
he  said  to  us,  "Now  the  Dam  will  be  all  right.  I  can  see 
it  will  be  a  success.  You  have  now  the  right  man  to  work 
it."     His  judgment  has  stood  the  test  of  time. 

Early  In  March  a  daily  bulletin  of  his  condition  began 
to  be  sent  to  England  by  cable,  to  meet  the  many  urgent 
inquiries  we  were  receiving  from  there.  Thus  on  4th 
March  I  find  the  following,  "He  is  distinctly  worse." 

On  9th  March  he  took  to  his  bed.  I  am  not  sure 
whether  he  ever  read  the  following  letter  arriving  about 
this  time  from  a  lady  for  whom  he  had  a  strong  regard. 

"My  dear  Mr.  Rhodes, — To  my  disappointment,  I 


3i8  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

found  on  my  return  from  Berlin  that  you  had  flown  to 
sunnier  climes  and  so  I  write  this  (much  as  I  know  you 
detest  getting  letters)  to  tell  you  that  when  lunching  with 
the  Emperor  at  Potsdam,  I  gave  him  your  message  about 
the  telegraph — he  actually  knew  where  Ujiji  was!  and 
said  he  had  no  idea  the  telegraph  had  got  so  far — and  he 
was  delighted.  He  talked  of  you  with  much  admiration 
— and  thinks  you  'a  wonderful  man' — and  he  was  so  in- 
terested in  you  and  your  interview  with  him.  I  told  him 
I  would  tell  you  what  he  said.  He  was  most  kind  to  me 
and  is  as  charming  as  ever — and  we  had  a  pleasant  time 
in  Berlin.  Didn't  you  leave  England  sooner  than  you 
intended?  It  was  a  pleasure  having  that  little  glimpse 
of  you  and  to  see  you  looking  so  well.  How  I  should 
like  to  be  back  at  beautiful  Groote  Schuur!  It  was  a 
delightful  time  I  spent  there — and  I  shall  never  forget 
your  kindness  to  me." 

On  loth  March  a  message  was  sent  to  London.  "In- 
tellect quite  clear.  He  went  through  all  business  matters 
yesterday  with  Michell." 

On  2ist  March  the  despatch  from  Dr.  Jameson  ran, 
"Stevenson  and  I  convinced  case  hopeless.  It  has  lasted 
longer  than  we  expected  owing  to  extraordinary  vitality, 
but  the  end  is  certain,  though  patient  still  anxious  to  sail 
on  Wednesday." 

His  sufferings  were  at  times  indescribably  painful,  and 
the  administration  of  oxygen  afforded  him  only  very  tem- 
porary relief.  In  lucid  moments  he  continued  to  deal 
with  questions  that  occurred  to  him  with  all  his  old  force, 
endeavouring  to  the  very  last  to  make  arrangements  for 
the  welfare  of  his  friends. 


CLOSING  DAYS  319 

On  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday,  the  26th  March,  I 
sat  for  a  while  by  his  bedside,  while  Dr.  Jameson,  worn 
out  by  persistent  watching  day  and  night,  took  a  short 
rest.  The  patient  was  restless  and  uneasy.  Once  he  mur- 
mured, "So  little  done,  so  much  to  do,"  and  then  after  a 
long  pause  I  heard  him  singing  softly  to  himself,  maybe 
a  few  bars  of  an  air  he  had  once  sung  at  his  mother's 
knee.  Then,  In  a  clear  voice,  he  called  for  Jameson.  I 
slipped  away  to  my  own  house  a  few  miles  off,  intending 
to  return  later  in  the  evening,  but  within  an  hour  came 
the  fatal  telegram  that,  to  the  accompaniment  of  the 
thunder  of  the  surf  breaking  on  the  beach  in  front  of 
his  little  bedroom,  the  greatest  of  modern  Englishmen 
had  passed  away. 

Opinions  may  reasonably  differ  as  to  whether  the  time 
has  yet  arrived  to  do  adequate  justice  to  the  memory  of 
Rhodes.  It  Is  a  growing  fame.  When  his  foibles  and 
his  faults  are  all  allowed  for,  there  outstands  the  figure 
of  a  great  and  Inspiring  personality.  One  must,  perhaps, 
be  personally  and  thoroughly  acquainted  with  South 
Africa  to  understand  the  depth  of  the  mark  he  has  carved 
on  the  history  of  the  sub-continent. 

I  will  not  dwell  on  his  simple  but  pathetic  grave,  placed 
far  from  the  busy  haunts  of  those  he  called  in  affectionate 
terms  "his  people" :  nor  on  the  memorials  and  statues 
that  have  already  arisen  to  his  memory  In  Cape  Town, 
Kimberley,  and  Bulawayo. 

It  will  be  more  to  the  purpose  to  say  that  he  still  lives 
in  the  hearts  and  Imagination  of  colonists:  that  almost  all 
our  high  and  fruitful  thoughts  and  acts  of  late  years  are 
traceable  to  his  compelling  example.  South  African  min- 
ing, agriculture,  and  education,  all  owe  their  new  life  to 


320  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

his  tenacity  of  purpose  and  his  resourceful  energy.  His 
Scholarship  Foundation,  still  in  its  infancy,  may  in  time 
move  the  world,  though  as  yet  its  potentialities  are 
hardly  realised  beyond  a  narrow  circle.  Above  all  we 
have  to  thank  Rhodes  for  his  preservation  of  that  im- 
mense territory  called  after  his  name — a  territory  which 
in  alien  hands  would  have  barred  our  further  expansion 
northward,  seriously  shaken  the  prestige  of  Great 
Britain  and  rendered  nugatory  all  prospect  of  friendly 
union  under  the  flag  of  England.  We  have  also  to  thank 
him  that  throughout  his  career  he  preached  in  season  and 
out  of  season  the  salutary  doctrine  of  equal  rights — a 
doctrine  the  negation  of  which  drenched  South  Africa 
for  nearly  three  years  in  the  blood  of  its  noblest  sons. 

Regard  him  as  we  may,  with  critical  or  uncritical  eyes, 
we  must  all  admit  that  he  was  a  great  Englishman  and 
one  of  the  few  who  have  left  a  permanent  mark  on  the 
Empire.  For  my  own  part  I  confidently  leave  his  fame 
to  the  verdict  of  posterity. 


APPENDIX 

COPY  OF  THE  WILL  OF  THE  RIGHT  HON. 
CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

I,  THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 
of  Cape  Town  in  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  hereby 
revoke  all  testamentary  dispositions  heretofore  made  by  me  and 
declare  this  to  be  my  last  Will  which  I  make  this  1st  day  of 
July,  1899- 

1.  I  am  a  natural-born  British  subject  and  I  now  declare  that 
I  have  adopted  and  acquired  and  hereby  adopt  and  acquire  and 
intend  to  retain  Rhodesia  as  my  domicile. 

2.  I  appoint  the  Right  Honourable  Archibald  Philip  Earl  of 
Rosebery  K.G.  K.T.  the  Right  Honourable  Albert  Henry  George 
Earl  Grey  Alfred  Beit  of  26  Park  Lane  London  William  Thomas 
Stead  of  Mowbray  House  Norfolk  Street  Strand  in  the  County 
of  London  Lewis  Loyd  Michell  of  Cape  Town  in  the  Colony  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  Banker  and  Bourchier  Francis  Hawksley 
of  Mincing  Lane  in  the  City  of  London  to  be  the  Executors  and 
Trustees  of  my  Will  and  they  and  the  survivors  of  them  or  other 
the  Trustees  for  the  time  being  of  my  Will  are  hereinafter  called 
"my  Trustees." 

3.  I  Admire  the  grandeur  and  loneliness  of  the  Matopos  in 
Rhodesia  and  therefore  I  desire  to  be  buried  in  the  Matopos  on 
the  hill  which  I  used  to  visit  and  which  I  called  the  "View  of  the 
World"  in  a  square  to  be  cut  in  the  rock  on  the  top  of  the  hill 
covered  with  a  plain  brass  plate  with  these  words  thereon — 
"Here  lie  the  remains  of   Cecil  John  Rhodes"  and   accordingly 


322  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

I  direct  my  Executors  at  the  expense  of  my  estate  to  take  all 
steps  and  do  all  things  necessary  or  proper  to  give  effect  to  this 
my  desire  and  afterwards  to  keep  my  grave  in  order  at  the 
expense  of  the  Matopos  and  Bulawayo  Fund  hereinafter 
mentioned. 

4.  I  give   the  sum  of  £6,000  to  Kahn  of  Paris  and   I 

direct  this  legacy  to  be  paid  free  of  all  duty  whatsoever. 

5.  I  give  an  annuity  of  £iOO  to  each  of  my  servants  Norris  and 
the  one  called  Tony  during  his  life  free  of  all  duty  whatsoever 
and  in  addition  to  any  wages  due  at  my  death. 

6.  I  direct  my  Trustees  on  the  hill  aforesaid  to  erect  or  com- 
plete the  monument  to  the  men  who  fell  in  the  first  Matabele 
War  at  Shangani  in  Rhodesia  the  bas-reliefs  for  which  are  being 
made  by  Mr.  John  Tweed  and  I  desire  the  said  hill  to  be  pre- 
served as  a  burial-place  but  no  person  is  to  be  buried  there 
unless  the  Government  for  the  time  being  of  Rhodesia  until  the 
various  states  of  South  Africa  or  any  of  them  shall  have  been 
federated  and  after  such  federation  the  Federal  Government 
by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  its  governing  body  says  that  he  or  she 
has  deserved  well  of  his  or  her  country. 

7.  I  give  free  of  all  duty  whatsoever  my  landed  property  near 
Bulawayo  in  Matabeleland  Rhodesia  and  my  landed  property 
at  or  near  Inyanga  near  Salisbury  in  Mashonaland  Rhodesia 
to  my  Trustees  hereinbefore  named  Upon  Trust  that  my  trustees 
shall  in  such  manner  as  in  their  uncontrolled  discretion  they 
shall  think  fit  cultivate  the  same  respectively  for  the  instruction 
of  the  people  of  Rhodesia. 

8.  I  give  free  of  all  duty  whatsoever  to  my  Trustees  herein- 
before named  such  a  sum  of  money  as  they  shall  carefully  ascer- 
tain and  in  their  uncontrolled  discretion  consider  ample  and 
sufficient   by  its   investments   to  yield   income   amounting   to   the 


APPENDIX  323 

sum  of  £4,000  sterling  per  annum  and  not  less  and  I  direct  my 
Trustees  to  invest  the  same  sum  and  the  said  sum  and  the  in- 
vestments for  the  time  being  representing  it  I  hereinafter  refer 
to  as  "the  Matopos  and  Bulawayo  Fund"  And  I  direct  that  my 
Trustees  shall  for  ever  apply  in  such  manner  as  in  their  uncon- 
trolled discretion  they  shall  think  fit  the  income  of  the  Matopos 
and  Bulawayo  Fund  in  preserving  protecting  maintaining  adorn- 
ing and  beautifying  the  said  burial-place  and  hill  and  their  sur- 
roundings and  shall  for  ever  apply  in  such  manner  as  in  their 
uncontrolled  discretion  they  shall  think  fit  the  balance  of  the 
income  of  the  Matopos  and  Bulawayo  Fund  and  any  rents  and 
profits  of  my  said  landed  properties  near  Bulawayo  in  the  culti- 
vation as  aforesaid  of  such  property  And  in  particular  I  direct 
my  Trustees  that  a  portion  of  my  Sauerdale  property  a  part  of 
my  said  landed  property  near  Bulawayo  be  planted  with  every 
possible  tree  and  be  made  and  preserved  and  maintained  as  a 
Park  for  the  people  of  Bulawayo  and  that  they  complete  the 
dam  at  my  Westacre  property  if  it  is  not  completed  at  my  death 
and  make  a  short  line  from  Bulawayo  to  Westacre  so  that  the 
people  of  Bulawayo  may  enjoy  the  glory  of  the  Matopos  from 
Saturday  to  Monday. 

9.  I  give  free  of  all  duty  whatsoever  to  my  Trustees  herein- 
before named  such  a  sum  of  money  as  they  shall  carefully  ascer- 
tain and  in  their  uncontrolled  discretion  consider  ample  and 
sufficient  by  its  investments  to  yield  income  amounting  to  the 
sum  of  £2,000  sterling  per  annum  and  not  less  and  I  direct  my 
Trustees  to  invest  the  same  sum  and  the  said  sum  and  the  invest- 
ments for  the  time  being  representing  it  I  hereinafter  refer  to 
as  "the  Inyanga  Fund"  And  I  direct  that  my  Trustees  shall 
for  ever  apply  in  such  manner  as  in  their  absolute  discretion 
they  shall  think  fit  the  income  of  the  Inyanga  Fund  and  any 
rents  and  profits  of  my  said  landed  property  at  or  near  Inyanga 
in  the  cultivation  of  such  property  and  in  particular  I  direct  that 


324  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

with  regard  to  such  property  irrigation  should  be  the  first  object 
of  my  Trustees. 

10.  For  the  guidance  of  my  Trustees  I  wish  to  record  that  in 
the  cultivation  of  my  said  landed  properties  I  include  such 
things  as  experimental  farming  forestry  market  and  other 
gardening  and  fruit  farming  irrigation  and  the  teaching  of  any 
of  those  things  and  establishing  and  maintaining  an  Agricul- 
tural College, 

11.  I  give  all  the  interest  to  which  I  may  at  my  death  be 
entitled  in  any  freehold  copyhold  or  leasehold  hereditaments  in 
Dalston  or  elsewhere  in  the  County  of  London  to  my  Trustees 
hereinbefore  named  Upon  trust  that  my  Trustees  shall  lease 
or  let  and  generally  manage  but  not  sell  the  same  and  pay  all 
requisite  outgoings  usually  paid  by  me  in  respect  thereof  and  main- 
tain the  same  in  proper  repair  and  insured  against  fire  And  upon 
trust  that  my  Trustees  shall  so  long  as  any  one  or  more  of  my  own 
brothers  and  sisters  (which  does  not  include  my  sister  of  the 
half-blood)  shall  be  living  pay  the  net  income  derived  from  the 
said  hereditaments  to  such  of  my  own  brothers  and  sisters  afore- 
said as  shall  for  the  time  being  be  living  and  while  more  than 
one  to  be  divided  between  them  in  equal  shares  And  shall  after 
the  death  of  the  survivor  of  them  such  brothers  and  sisters  hold 
my  interest  in  the  said  estate  and  the  rents  and  profits  thereof 
Upon  the  trusts  hereinafter  contained  concerning  the  same  and 
inasmuch  as  those  trusts  are  educational  trusts  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Empire  I  hope  the  means  will  be  found  for  enabling  my 
Trustees  to  retain  my  interest  in  the  said  estate  unsold  and  with 
that  object  I  authorize  and  require  them  to  endeavour  to  obtain 
at  the  expense  of  my  estate  a  private  or  other  Act  of  Parliament 
or  other  sufficient  authority  enabling  and  requiring  them  to 
retain  the  same  unsold. 

12.  I  give  the  sum  of  £100,000  free  of  all  duty  whatsoever  to 


APPENDIX  325 

my  old  college  Oriel  College  in  the  University  of  Oxford  and  I 
direct  that  the  receipt  of  the  Bursar  or  other  proper  officer  of 
the  College  shall  be  a  complete  discharge  for  that  legacy  and 
inasmuch  as  I  gather  that  the  erection  of  an  extension  to  High 
Street  of  the  College  buildings  would  cost  about  £22,500  and 
that  the  loss  to  the  College  revenue  caused  by  pulling  down  of 
houses  to  make  room  for  the  said  new  College  buildings  would 
be  about  £250  per  annum  I  direct  that  the  sum  of  £40,000  part 
of  the  said  sum  of  £100,000  shall  be  applied  in  the  first  place  in 
the  erection  of  the  said  new  College  buildings  and  that  the 
remainder  of  such  a  sum  of  £40,000  shall  be  held  as  a  fund 
by  the  income  whereof  the  aforesaid  loss  to  the  College  revenue 
shall  so  far  as  possible  be  made  good.  And  inasmuch  as  I 
gather  that  there  is  a  deficiency  in  the  College  revenue  of 
some  £1,500  per  annum  whereby  the  Fellowships  are  im- 
poverished and  the  status  of  the  College  is  lowered  I  direct  that 
the  sum  of  £40,000  further  part  of  the  said  sum  of  £100,000  shall 
be  held  as  a  fund  by  the  income  whereof  the  income  of  such  of 
the  resident  Fellows  of  the  College  as  work  for  the  honour  and 
dignity  of  the  College  shall  be  increased.  And  I  further  direct 
that  the  sum  of  £10,000  further  part  of  the  said  sum  of  £100,000 
shall  be  held  as  a  final  fund  by  the  income  whereof  the  dignity  and 
comfort  of  the  High  Table  may  be  maintained  by  which  means 
the  dignity  and  comfort  of  the  resident  Fellows  may  be  increased. 
And  I  further  direct  that  the  sum  of  £10,000  the  remainder  of 
the  said  sum  of  £100,000  shall  be  held  as  a  repair  fund  the  income 
whereof  shall  be  expended  in  maintaining  and  repairing  the 
College  buildings.  And  finally  as  the  College  authorities  live 
secluded  from  the  world  and  so  are  like  children  as  to  com- 
mercial matters  I  would  advise  them  to  consult  my  Trustees  as 
to  the  investment  of  these  various  funds  for  they  would  receive 
great  help  and  assistance  from  the  advice  of  my  Trustees  in  such 
matters    and    I    direct    that    any   investment    made    pursuant    to 


326  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

such  advice  shall  whatsoever  it  may  be  be  an  authorized  invest- 
ment for  the  money  applied  in  making  it. 

13.  I  give  my  property  following  that  is  to  say  my  residence 
known  as  "De  Groote  Schuur"  situate  near  Mowbray  in  the 
Cape  Division  in  the  said  Colony  together  with  all  furniture 
plate  and  other  articles  contained  therein  at  the  time  of  my 
death  and  all  other  land  belonging  to  me  situated  under  Table 
Mountain  including  my  property  known  as  "Mosterts"  to  my 
Trustees  hereinbefore  named  upon  and  subject  to  the  condi- 
tions following  that  is  to  say — 

(i.)  The  said  property  (excepting  any  furniture  or  like 
articles  which  have  become  useless)  shall  not  nor  shall  any 
portion  thereof  at  any  time  be  sold  let  or  otherwise  alienated. 

(ii.)  No  buildings  for  suburban  residences  shall  at  any 
time  be  erected  on  the  said  property  and  any  buildings 
which  may  be  erected  thereon  shall  be  used  exclusively  for 
public  purposes  and  shall  be  in  a  style  of  architecture 
similar  to  or  in  harmony  with  my  said  residence. 

(iii.)  The  said  residence  and  its  gardens  and  grounds  shall 
be  retained  for  a  residence  for  the  Prime  Minister  for  the 
time  being  of  the  said  Federal  Government  of  the  States  of 
South  Africa  to  which  I  have  referred  in  clause  6  hereof  my 
intention  being  to  provide  a  suitable  official  residence  for 
the  First  Minister  in  that  Government  befitting  the  dignity 
of  his  position  and  until  there  shall  be  such  a  Federal  Govern- 
ment may  be  used  as  a  park  for  the  people. 

(iv.)  The  grave  of  the  late  Jan  Hendrik  Hofmeyr  upon 
the  said  property  shall  be  protected  and  access  be  per- 
mitted thereto  at  all  reasonable  times  by  any  member  of  the 
Hofmeyr  family  for  the  purpose  of  inspection  or  main- 
tenance. 


APPENDIX  327 

14.  I  give  to  my  Trustees  hereinbefore  named  such  a  sum  of 
money  as  they  shall  carefully  ascertain  and  in  their  uncon- 
trolled discretion  consider  to  be  ample  and  sufficient  to  yield 
income  amounting  to  the  sum  of  one  thousand  pounds  sterling 
per  annum  and  not  less  upon  trust  that  such  income  shall  be 
applied  and  expended  for  the  purposes  following  (that  is  to 
say)  — 

(i.)  On  and  for  keeping  and  maintaining  for  the  use  of  the 
Prime  Minister  for  the  time  being  of  the  said  Federal 
Government  of  at  least  two  carriage  horses  one  or  more 
carriages  and  sufficient  stable  servants. 

(ii.)  On  and  for  keeping  and  maintaining  in  good  order 
the  flower  and  kitchen  gardens  appertaining  to  the  said 
residence. 

(iii.)  On  and  for  the  payment  of  the  wages  or  earnings 
including  board  and  lodging  of  two  competent  men  servants 
to  be  housed  kept  and  employed  in  domestic  service  in  the 
said  residence. 

(iv.)  On  and  for  the  improvement  repair  renewal  and 
insurance  of  the  said  residence  furniture  plate  and  other 
articles. 

15.  I  direct  that  subject  to  the  conditions  and  trusts  herein- 
before contained  the  said  Federal  Government  shall  from  the 
time  it  shall  be  constituted  have  the  management  administra- 
tion and  control  of  the  said  devise  and  legacy  and  that  my 
Trustees  shall  as  soon  as  may  be  thereafter  vest  and  pay  the 
devise  and  legacy  given  by  the  last  preceding  clauses  hereof 
in  and  to  such  Government  if  a  corporate  body  capable  of  ac- 
cepting and  holding  the  same  or  if  not  then  in  some  suitable 
corporate  body  so  capable  named  by  such  Government  and  that 
in  the  meantime  my  Trustees  shall  in  their  uncontrolled  discre- 


328  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

tion  manage  administer  and  control   the  said  devise  and  legacy. 

1 6.  Whereas  I  consider  that  the  education  of  young  Colonists 
at  one  of  the  Universities  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  of  great 
advantage  to  them  for  giving  breadth  to  their  views  for  their 
instruction  in  life  and  manners  and  for  instilling  into  their  minds 
the  advantage  to  the  Colonies  as  well  as  to  the  United  Kingdom 
of  the  retention  of  the  unity  of  the  Empire  And  whereas  in 
the  case  of  young  Colonists  studying  at  a  University  in  the 
United  Kingdom  I  attach  very  great  importance  to  the  University 
having  a  residential  system  such  as  is  in  force  at  the  Universities 
of  Oxford  and  Cambridge  for  without  it  those  students  are  at  the 
most  critical  period  of  their  lives  left  without  any  supervision  And 
whereas  there  are  at  the  present  time  50  or  more  students  from 
South  Africa  studying  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh  many 
of  whom  are  attracted  there  by  its  excellent  medical  school  and 
I  should  like  to  establish  some  of  the  Scholarships  hereinafter 
mentioned  in  that  University  but  owing  to  its  not  having  such 
a  residential  system  as  aforesaid  I  feel  obliged  to  refrain  from 
doing  so  And  whereas  my  own  University  the  University  of 
Oxford  has  such  a  system  and  I  suggest  that  it  should  try  and 
extend  its  scope  so  as  if  possible  to  make  its  medical  school  at 
least  as  good  as  that  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh  And 
whereas  I  also  desire  to  encourage  and  foster  an  appreciation 
of  the  advantages  which  I  implicitly  believe  will  result  from 
the  union  of  the  English-speaking  people  throughout  the  world 
and  to  encourage  in  the  students  from  the  United  States  of 
North  America  who  will  benefit  from  the  American  Scholar- 
ships to  be  established  for  the  reason  above  given  at  the  University 
of  Oxford  under  this  my  Will  an  attachment  to  the  country  from 
which  they  have  sprung  but  without  I  hope  withdrawing  them 
or  their  sympathies  from  the  land  of  their  adoption  or  birth 
Now  therefore  I  direct  my  Trustees  as  soon  as  may  be  after  my 
death  and  either  simultaneously  or  gradually  as  they  shall  find 
convenient   and    if   gradually    then    in    such   order   as   they   shall 


APPENDIX  329 

think  fit  to  establish  for  male  students  the  Scholarships  herein- 
after directed  to  be  established  each  of  which  shall  be  of  the 
yearly  value  of  £300;  and  be  tenable  at  any  College  in  the 
University  of  Oxford  for  three  consecutive  academical  years. 

17.  I  direct  my  Trustees  to  establish  certain  Scholarships  and 
these  Scholarships  I  sometimes  hereinafter  refer  to  as  "the 
Colonial   Scholarships." 

18.  The  appropriation  of  the  Colonial  Scholarships  and  the 
numbers  to  be  annually  filled  up  shall  be  in  accordance  with 
the  following  table: — 

Total  No.  No.  of  Scholarships 

appro-        To  be  tenable  by  Students  of  or  from  to  be  filled  up  in 

priated.  each  year. 

9        Rhodesia    3  and  no  more. 

3        The    South  African   College    School   in   the 

Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 1  and  no  more. 

3        The    Stellenbosch    College     School    in    the 

same   Colony    1  and  no  more. 

3        The    Diocesan    College    School    of    Ronde- 

bosch  in  the  same  Colony 1  and  no  more. 

3        St.  Andrew's  College  School,  Grahamstown, 

in  the  same  Colony  1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  Natal   1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  New  South  Wales  1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  South  Australia 1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  Queensland  1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  Western  Australia  1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  Tasmania  1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  of  New  Zealand 1  and  no  more. 

3        The   Province  of  Ontario  in  the   Dominion 

of    Canada    1  and  no  more. 

3        The   Province  of  Quebec  in  the   Dominion 

of   Canada    1  and  no  more. 

3        The    Colony    or    Island    of    Newfoundland 

and  its  Dependencies    1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  or  Islands  of  the  Bermudas 1  and  no  more. 

3        The  Colony  or  Island  of  Jamaica 1  and  no  more. 

19.  I    further    direct    my    Trustees    to    establish    additional 


330  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Scholarships  sufficient  in  number  for  the  appropriation  in  the 
next  following  clause  hereof  directed  and  those  Scholarships  I 
sometimes  hereinafter  refer  to  as  "the  American  Scholarships." 

20.  I  appropriate  two  of  the  American  Scholarships  to  each 
of  the  present  States  and  Territories  of  the  United  States  of 
North  America  Provided  that  if  any  of  the  said  Territories 
shall  in  my  lifetime  be  admitted  as  a  State  the  Scholarships 
appropriated  to  such  Territory  shall  be  appropriated  to  such 
State  and  that  my  Trustees  may  in  their  uncontrolled  dis- 
cretion withhold  for  such  time  as  they  shall  think  fit  the  appro- 
priation of  Scholarships  to  any  Territory. 

21.  I  direct  that  of  the  two  Scholarships  appropriated  to  a 
State  or  Territory  not  more  than  one  shall  be  filled  up  in  any 
year  so  that  at  no  time  shall  more  than  two  Scholarships  be 
held  for  the  same  State  or  Territory. 

22.  The  Scholarships  shall  be  paid  out  of  the  income  and 
in  the  event  at  any  time  of  income  being  sufficient  for  pay- 
ment in  full  of  all  the  Scholarships  for  the  time  being  payable 
I  direct  that  (without  prejudice  to  the  vested  interests  of  holders 
for  the  time  being  of  Scholarships)  the  following  order  of  priority 
shall  regulate  the  paj^ment  of  the  Scholarships. 

(i.)  First  the  Scholarships  of  students  of  or  from  Rhodesia 
shall  be  paid. 

(ii.)  Secondly  the  Scholarships  of  students  from  the  said 
South  African  Stellenbosch  Rondebosch  and  St.  Andrew's 
Schools  shall  be  paid. 

(iii.)  Thirdly  the  remainder  of  the  Colonial  Scholarships 
shall  be  paid  and  if  there  shall  not  be  sufficient  income  for 
the  purpose  such  Scholarships  shall  abate  proportionately; 
and 


APPENDIX  331 

(iv.)  Fourthly  the  American  Scholarships  shall  be  paid 
and  if  there  shall  not  be  sufficient  income  for  the  purpose 
such  Scholarships  shall  abate  proportionately. 

23.  My  desire  being  that  the  students  who  shall  be  elected 
to  the  Scholarships  shall  not  be  merely  bookworms  I  direct  that 
in  the  election  of  a  student  to  a  Scholarship  regard  shall  be  had 
to  (i.)  his  literary  and  scholastic  attainments  (ii.)  his  fondness 
of  and  success  in  manly  outdoor  sports  such  as  cricket  football 
and  the  like(iii.)  his  qualities  of  manhood  truth  courage  devotion 
to  duty  sj-mpathy  for  and  protection  of  the  weak  kindliness 
unselfishness  and  fellowship  and  (iv.)  his  exhibition  during  school 
days  of  moral  force  of  character  and  of  instincts  to  lead  and  to 
take  an  interest  in  his  schoolmates  for  those  latter  attributes 
will  be  likely  in  afterlife  to  guide  him  to  esteem  the  performance 
of  public  duties  as  his  highest  aim  As  mere  suggestions  for  the 
guidance  of  those  who  will  have  the  choice  of  students  for  the 
Scholarships  I  record  that — 

(i.)  My  ideal  qualified  student  would  combine  these  four 
qualifications  in  the  proportions  of  4-iOths  for  the  first 
2-ioths  for  the  second  2-iOths  for  the  third  and  2-iOths  for 
the  fourth  qualification  so  that  according  to  my  ideas  if  the 
maximum  number  of  marks  for  any  Scholarship  were  1 00 
they  would  be  apportioned  as  follows: — 40  to  the  first 
qualification  and  20  to  each  of  the  second  third  and  fourth 
qualifications. 

(ii.)  The  marks  for  first  qualification  would  be  awarded 
by  examination  for  the  second  and  third  qualifications  by 
ballot  by  the  fellow-students  of  the  candidates  and  for  the 
fourth  qualification  by  the  headmaster  of  the  candidate's 
school;  and 

(iii.)  The  results  of  the  awards  would  be  sent  simultane- 
ously to  my  Trustees  or  some  one  appointed  to  receive  the 


332  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

same  I  say  simultaneously  so  that  no  awarding  party 
should  know  the  result  of  the  award  of  any  other  awarding 
party. 

24.  No  student  shall  be  qualified  or  disqualified  for  election 
to  a  Scholarship  on  account  of  his  race  or  religious  opinions. 

25.  The  election  to  Scholarships  shall  be  by  the  Trustees  after 
consultation  with  the  minister  having  the  control  of  education 
in  such  colony  province  state  or  territory  except  in  the  cases  of 
the  four  schools  hereinbefore  mentioned. 

26.  A  qualified  student  who  has  been  elected  as  aforesaid 
shall  within  six  calendar  months  after  his  election  or  as  soon 
thereafter  as  he  can  be  admitted  into  residence  or  within  such 
extended  time  as  my  Trustees  shall  allow  commence  residence  as 
an  undergraduate  at  some  college  in  the  University  of  Oxford. 

27.  The  Scholarships  shall  be  payable  to  him  from  the  time 
when  he  shall  commence  such  residence. 

28.  I  desire  that  the  Scholars  holding  the  Scholarships  shall 
be  distributed  amongst  the  Colleges  of  the  University  of  Oxford 
and  not  resort  in  undue  numbers  to  one  or  more  Colleges  only. 

29.  Notwithstanding  anything  hereinbefore  contained  my 
Trustees  may  in  their  uncontrolled  discretion  suspend  for  such 
time  as  they  shall  think  fit  or  remove  any  Scholar  from  his 
Scholarship. 

30.  My  Trustees  may  from  time  to  time  make  vary  and 
repeal  regulations  either  general  or  affecting  specified  Scholar- 
ships only  with  regard  to  all  or  any  of  the  following  matters 
that  is  to  say: — 

(1.)   The  election  whether  after  examination  or  otherwise 
of  qualified  Students  to  the  Scholarships  or  any  of  them  and 


APPENDIX  33^ 

the  method  whether  by  examination  or  otherwise  in  which 
their  qualifications  are  to  be  ascertained. 

(ii.)   The  tenure  of  the  Scholarships  by  scholars. 

(iii.)  The  suspension  and  removal  of  scholars  from  their 
Scholarships. 

(iv.)  The  method  and  times  of  payment  of  the  Scholar- 
ships. 

(v.)  The  method  of  giving  effect  to  my  wish  expressed 
in  clause  28  hereof  and 

(vi.)  Any  and  every  other  matter  with  regard  to  the 
Scholarships  or  any  of  them  with  regard  to  which  they 
shall  consider  regulations  necessary  or  desirable. 

31.  My  Trustees  may  from  time  to  time  authorize  regula- 
tions with  regard  to  the  election  whether  after  examination  or 
otherwise  of  qualified  students  for  Scholarships  and  to  the 
method  whether  by  examination  or  otherwise  in  which  their 
qualifications  are  to  be  ascertained  to  be  made — 

(i.)  By  a  school  in  respect  of  the  Scholarships  tenable  by 
its  students  and — 

(ii.)  By  the  Minister  aforesaid  of  a  Colony  Province  State 
or  Territory  in  respect  of  the  Scholarships  tenable  by 
students  from  such  Colony  Province  State  or  Territory. 

32.  Regulations  made  under  the  last  preceding  clause  hereof 
if  and  when  approved  of  and  not  before  by  my  Trustees  shall  be 
equivalent  in  all  respects  to  regulations  made  by  my  Trustees. 

33.  No  regulations  made  under  clause  30  or  made  and  approved 
of  under  clauses  31  and  32  hereof  shall  be  inconsistent  with  any 
of  the  provisions  herein  contained. 


334  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

34.  In  order  that  the  scholars  past  and  present  may  have 
opportunities  of  meeting  and  discussing  their  experiences  and 
prospects  I  desire  that  my  Trustees  shall  annually  give  a  dinner 
to  the  past  and  present  scholars  able  and  willing  to  attend  at 
which  I  hope  my  Trustees  or  some  of  them  will  be  able  to  be 
present  and  to  which  they  will  I  hope  from  time  to  time  invite 
as  guests  persons  who  have  shown  sympathy  with  the  views 
expressed  by  me  in  this  my  Will. 

35.  My  Trustees  hereinbefore  named  shall  free  of  all  duty 
whatsoever  at  such  time  as  they  shall  think  fit  set  apart  out  of 
my  estate  such  a  Scholarship  fund  (either  by  appropriation  of 
existing  investments  or  by  making  other  investments  or  partly 
in  one  way  and  partly  in  the  other)  as  they  shall  consider  sufficient 
by  its  income  to  pay  the  Scholarships  and  in  addition  a  yearly 
sum  of  £1,000. 

36.  My  Trustees  shall  Invest  the  Scholarship  fund  and  the 
other  funds  hereinbefore  established  or  any  part  thereof  respec- 
tively in  such  investments  in  any  part  of  the  world  as  they  shall 
in  their  uncontrolled  discretion  think  fit  and  that  without  regard 
to  any  rules  of  equity  governing  investments  by  trustees  and 
without  any  responsibilty  or  liability  should  they  commit  any 
breach  of  any  such  rule  with  power  to  vary  any  such  invest- 
ments for  others  of  a  like  nature. 

37.  Investments  to  the  bearer  held  as  an  investment  may  be 
deposited  by  my  Trustees  for  safe  custody  in  their  names  with 
any  banker  or  banking  company  or  with  any  company  whose 
business  it  is  to  take  charge  of  investments  of  that  nature  and 
my  Trustees  shall  not  be  responsible  for  any  loss  incurred  in 
consequence  of  such  deposit, 

38.  My  Trustees  shall  after  the  death  of  the  survivor  of  my 
said  brothers  and  sisters  hold  my  said  interest  in  the  said  Dalston 


APPENDIX  335 

estate  as  an  accretion  to  the  capital  of  the  Scholarship  fund  and 
the  net  rents  and  profits  thereof  as  an  accretion  to  the  income 
of  the  Scholarship  fund  and  shall  by  means  of  the  increase  of 
income  of  the  Scholarship  fund  so  arising  establish  such  number 
of  further  Scholarships  of  the  yearly  value  of  £300  each  as  such 
increase  shall  be  sufficient  to  establish.  Such  further  Scholar- 
ships shall  be  for  students  of  such  British  Colony  or  Colonies  or 
Dependency  or  Dependencies  whether  hereinbefore  mentioned 
or  not  as  my  Trustees  shall  in  their  uncontrolled  discretion 
think  fit.  And  I  direct  that  every  such  further  Scholarship 
shall  correspond  in  all  respects  with  the  Scholarships  herein- 
before directed  to  be  established  and  that  the  preceding  pro- 
visions of  this  my  Will  which  apply  to  the  Scholarships  herein- 
before directed  to  be  established  or  any  of  them  shall  where 
applicable  apply  to  such  further  Scholarships. 

39.  Until  the  Scholarship  fund  shall  have  been  set  apart  as 
aforesaid  I  charge  the  same  and  the  Scholarships  upon  the 
residue  of  my  real  and  personal  estate. 

40.  I  give  the  residue  of  my  real  and  personal  estate  unto 
such  of  them  the  said  Earl  of  Rosebery  Earl  Grey  Alfred  Beit 
William  Thomas  Stead  Lewis  Loyd  Michell  and  Bourchier 
Francis  Hawksley  as  shall  be  living  at  my  death  absolutely  and 
if  more  than  one  as  joint  tenants. 

41.  My  Trustees  in  the  administration  of  the  trust  business 
may  instead  of  acting  personally  employ  and  pay  a  Secretary 
or  Agent  to  transact  all  business  and  do  all  acts  required  to  be 
done  in  the  trust  including  the  receipt  and  payment  of  money. 

42.  My  intention  is  that  there  shall  be  always  at  least  three 
Trustees  of  my  Will  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  Scholarship  Trusts 
and  therefore  I  direct  that  whenever  there  shall  be  less  than 
three  Trustees  a  new  Trustee  or  new  Trustees  shall  be  forth- 
with appointed. 


336  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  the  day 
and  year  first  above  vi^ritten. 

Signed  by  the  said  Testator  The  Right  \ 
Honourable  Cecil  John  Rhodes  as  and  I 
for  his  last  Will  and  Testament  in  the/ 
presence  of  us  both  present  at  the  samey^  , 
time  who  at  his  request  in  his  presence/^ 
and  in  the  presence  of  each  other  haveV 
hereunto  subscribed  our  names  as  w^it-  | 
nesses  / 

Charles  T.  Metcalfe, 

p.  jourdan, 

Arthur  Sawyer. 

Jan.  1900 
[Really  January,  1901.] 
On   account   of   the   extraordinary   eccentricity   of    Mr.    Stead 
though  having  always  a  great  respect   for   him  but   feeling  the 
objects  of  my  Will  would  be  embarrassed  by  his  views  I  hereby 
revoke  his  appointment  as  one  of  my  executors. 

C.  J.  RHODES. 
Witnesses 

Lewis  L.  Michell. 
H.  Godden. 


tf  This  is  a  further  Codicil  to  my  Will.  I  note  the  German 
-o  "1  Emperor  has  made  instruction  in  English  compulsory  in  German 
*o  schools.  I  leave  five  yearly  scholarships  at  Oxford  of  £250  per 
re's  ann.  to  students  of  German  birth  the  scholars  to  be  nominated 
■^1  by  the  German  Emperor  for  the  time  being.  Each  scholar- 
no*  ship  to  continue  for  three  years  so  that  each  year  after  the  first 
£  «    three  there  will  be  fifteen  scholars.      The  object  is  that  an  under- 


APPENDIX  337 

standing  between  the  three   great   Powers  will  render  war  im- 
possible and  educational  relations  make  the  strongest  tie. 

C.  J.  RHODES. 
Witnesses 

G.  V.  Webb. 
W.  G.  V.  Carter. 

Endorsed  on  back  of  above 
A  yearly  amount   should   be   put   in   British   Consols  to   pro- 
vide for  the  bequests  in  my  Will  when  the  Diamond  Mines  work 
out :  the  above  is  an  instruction  to  the  Trustees  of  my  Will. 

C.  J.  R. 


Jan./igoi. 
As   a    further   Codicil   to   my  Will   I   leave   J.    Grimmer   ten 
thousand  pounds  and  the  use  of  my  Inyanga  farms  for  his  life. 
This  bequest  takes  the  place  of  the  previous  written  paper  given 
to  him. 

C.  J.  RHODES. 
Witness 

W.  G.  V.  Carter. 
H.  Godden. 


This  is  a  Codicil  to  the  last  Will  and  Testament  of  me  THE 
RIGHT  HONOURABLE  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES  of  Cape 
Town  in  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  which  Will  is 
dated  the  First  day  of  July  One  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
ninety-nine.  I  appoint  the  Right  Honourable  Alfred  Lord 
Milner  to  be  an  Executor  and  Trustee  of  my  said  Will  jointly 
w^ith  those  named  in  my  said  Will  as  my  Executors  and  Trustees 
and  in  all  respects  as  though  he  had  been  originally  appointed 
one  of  my  Executors  and  Trustees  by  my  said  Will  And  I 
associate  him  with  my  residuary  legatees  and  devisees  named 
in  clause  40  of  my  said  Will  desiring  and  declaring  that  they 
and  he  are  my  residuary  legatees  and  devisees  in  joint  tenancy 


338  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

I  revoke  clauses  23,  24  and  25  in  my  said  Will  and  in  lieu  thereof 
substitute  the  three  following  clauses  which  I  direct  shall  be 
read  as  though  originally  clauses  23,  24  and  25  of  my  said  Will: — 

23.  My  desire  being  that  the  students  who  shall  be  elected 
to  the  Scholarships  shall  not  be  merely  bookworms  I  direct  that 
in  the  election  of  a  student  to  a  Scholarship  regard  shall  be  had 
to  (i.)  his  literary  and  scholastic  attainments  (ii.)  his  fondness  of 
and  success  in  manly  outdoor  sports  such  as  cricket  football  and 
the  like  (iii.)  his  qualities  of  manhood  truth  courage  devotion  to 
duty  sympathy  for  the  protection  of  the  weak  kindliness  un- 
selfishness and  fellowship  and  (iv.)  his  exhibition  during  school 
days  of  moral  force  of  character  and  of  instincts  to  lead  and  to 
take  an  interest  in  his  schoolmates  for  those  latter  attributes 
will  be  likely  in  after  life  to  guide  him  to  esteem  the  perform- 
ance of  public  duties  as  his  highest  aim  As  mere  suggestions 
for  the  guidance  of  those  who  will  have  the  choice  of  students 
for  the  Scholarships  I  record  that  (i.)  my  ideal  qualified  student 
would  combine  these  four  qualifications  in  the  proportions  of 
3-ioths  for  the  first  2-ioths  for  the  second  3-ioths  for  the  third 
and  2-iOths  for  the  fourth  qualification  so  that  according  to  my 
ideas  if  the  maximum  number  of  marks  for  any  Scholarship  were 
200  they  would  be  apportioned  as  follows — 60  to  each  of  the 
first  and  third  qualifications  and  40  to  each  of  the  second  and 
fourth  qualifications  (ii.)  the  marks  for  the  several  qualifications 
would  be  awarded  independently  as  follows  (that  is  to  say)  the 
marks  for  the  first  qualification  by  examination  for  the  second 
and  third  qualifications  respectively  by  ballot  by  the  fellow- 
students  of  the  candidates  and  for  the  fourth  qualification  by 
the  head  master  of  the  candidates,  school  and  (iii.)  the  results  of 
the  awards  (that  is  to  say  the  marks  obtained  by  each  candidate 
for  each  qualification)  would  be  sent  as  soon  as  possible  for  con- 
sideration to  the  Trustees  or  to  some  person  or  persons  appointed 
to  receive  the  same  and  the  person  or  persons  so  appointed  would 


APPENDIX  339 

ascertain  by  averaging  the  marks  in  blocks  of  20  marks  each  of 
all  candidates  the  best  ideal  qualified  students. 

24.  No  student  shall  be  qualified  or  disqualified  for  election 
to  a  Scholarship  on  account  of  his  race  or  religious  opinions. 

25.  Except  in  the  cases  of  the  four  schools  hereinbefore 
mentioned  the  election  to  Scholarships  shall  be  by  the  Trustees 
after  such  (if  any)  consultation  as  they  shall  think  fit  with  the 
Minister  having  the  control  of  education  in  such  Colony  Pro- 
vince State  or  Territory. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  this 
Eleventh  day  of  October  One  thousand  nine  hundred  and  one. 

Signed  by  the  said  Cecil  John  Rhodes  as  and 
for  a  Codicil  to  his  last  Will  and  Testament 
in  the  presence  of  us  all  present  at  the 
same  time  who  in  his  presence  at  his)  C.  J.  RHODES 
request  and  in  the  presence  of  each  other  I 
have  hereunto  subscribed  our  names  as 
witnesses 

George  Frost, 
Frank  Brown, 

Servants  to  Mr.  Beit, 

26,  Park  Lane,  London. 


I,  THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

of  Cape  Town  in  the  Colony  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  declare 
this  to  be  a  second  Codicil  which  I  make  this  1 8th  day  of  January 
1902  to  my  Will  which  is  dated  ist  day  of  July  1899. 

I.  I  renew  the  statement  contained  in  my  said  Will  relating 
to  my  domicile. 


340  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

2.  I  appoint  the  Trustees  or  Trustee  for  the  time  being  of  my 
said  Will  (hereinafter  called  "my  Trustees  or  Trustee")  to  be  the 
Trustees  or  Trustee  for  all  purposes  of  the  Settled  Land  Acts 
1882  to  i8go  and  also  for  all  the  purposes  of  Section  42  of  the 
Conveyancing  and  Law  of  Property  Act  1 88 1. 

3.  I  devise  free  and  discharged  as  hereinafter  provided  of 
all  incumbrances  created  by  me  all  my  messuages  lands  and 
hereditaments  in  or  arising  in  the  parishes  of  Dalham  Gazely 
Moulton  Ousden  and  Hargrave  in  the  County  of  Suffolk  and 
in  the  parish  of  Ashley  in  the  County  of  Cambridge  and  in  any 
adjoining  or  neighbouring  parish  or  parishes  and  including  the 
IManors  of  Denham  Dalham-cum-Dunstall  and  Bovills  and  the 
advowson  of  Dalham  Rectory  and  all  my  tithe  rent-charge  issu- 
ing out  of  any  of  my  said  hereditaments  in  any  of  the  said  parishes 
and  all  other  the  hereditaments  forming  my  Dalham  Hall  Estate 
whether  included  in  the  purchase  (now  in  course  of  completion) 
from  Sir  Robert  Affleck  Baronet  or  subsequently  acquired  by 
me  (which  messuages  lands  and  hereditaments  are  hereinafter 
included  in  the  expression  "The  Dalham  Hall  Estate")  to  the 
uses  and  subject  to  the  powers  and  provisions  hereinafter  con- 
tained that  is  to  say — 

4.  To  the  use  of  my  brother  Francis  Rhodes  for  his  life  without 
impeachment  of  waste      With  remainder. 

5.  To  the  use  of  his  first  and  other  sons  successively  accord- 
ing to  seniority  in  tail  male     With  remainder, 

6.  To  the  use  of  my  brother  Ernest  Frederick  Rhodes  for  his 
life  without  impeachment  of  waste      With  remainder. 

7.  To  the  use  of  his  first  and  other  sons  successively  accord- 
ing to  seniority  in  tail  male     With  remainder, 

8.  To  the  use  of  the  devisees  of  my  general  residuary  estate. 


APPENDIX  341 

9.  If  any  person  hereby  made  tenant  in  tail  male  of  the 
Dalham  Hall  Estate  shall  be  living  at  or  be  born  in  due  time 
after  my  death  then  I  revoke  the  state  in  tail  male  hereby 
limited  to  any  and  every  such  person  and  instead  of  and  by 
way  of  substitution  for  the  estate  in  tail  male  hereby  revoked 
of  any  person  I  devise  (freed  and  discharged  as  aforesaid)  the 
Dalham  Hall  Estate  (but  subject  to  and  in  remainder  after 
the  estates  preceding  such  estate  in  tail  male)  To  the  use  of 
the  same  person  for  life  without  impeachment  of  waste  with 
remainder  To  the  use  of  his  first  and  other  sons  success- 
ively according  to  seniority  in  tail  male  with  the  like  remainders 
over  as  are  hereinbefore  limited  after  such  revoked  estate  in 
tail  male. 

10.  Whereas  I  feel  that  it  is  the  essence  of  a  proper  life  that 
every  man  should  during  some  substantial  period  thereof  have 
some  definite  occupation  and  I  object  to  an  expectant  heir 
developing  into  what  I  call  a  "loafer"  And  whereas  the  rental 
of  the  Dalham  Hall  Estate  is  not  more  than  sufficient  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  estate  and  my  experience  is  that  one  of  the 
things  making  for  the  strength  of  England  is  the  ownership  of 
country  estates  which  could  maintain  the  dignity  and  comfort 
of  the  head  of  the  family  but  that  this  position  has  been  abso- 
lutely ruined  by  the  practice  of  creating  charges  upon  the  estates 
either  for  younger  children  or  for  the  payment  of  debts  whereby 
the  estates  become  insufficient  to  maintain  the  head  of  the 
family  in  dignity  and  comfort  And  whereas  I  humbly  believe 
that  one  of  the  secrets  of  England's  strength  has  been  the  exist- 
ence of  a  class  termed  "The  country  landlords"  who  devote 
their  efforts  to  the  maintenance  of  those  on  their  own  property 
And  whereas  this  is  my  own  experience  Now  therefore  I 
direct  that  if  any  person  who  under  the  limitations  herein- 
before contained  shall  become  entitled  as  tenant  for  life  or  as 
tenant  in  tail  male  by  purchase  to  the  possession  or  to  the 
receipts   of   the   rents   and   profits   of   the    Dalham    Hall    Estate 


342  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

shall  attempt  to  assign  charge  or  .incumber  his  interest  in  the 
Dalham  Hall  Estate  or  any  part  thereof  or  shall  do  or  permit 
any  act  or  thing  or  any  event  shall  happen  by  or  in  conse- 
quence of  which  he  would  cease  to  be  entitled  to  such  interest 
if  the  same  were  given  to  him  absolutely  or  if  any  such  person 
as  aforesaid  (excepting  in  this  case  my  said  brothers  Francis 
Rhodes  and  Ernest  Frederick  Rhodes)  (i.)  shall  not  when  he 
shall  become  so  entitled  as  aforesaid  have  been  for  at  least  ten 
consecutive  years  engaged  in  some  profession  or  business  or 
(ii.)  if  not  then  engaged  in  some  profession  or  business  and  (such 
profession  or  business  not  being  that  of  the  Army)  not  then  also 
a  member  of  some  militia  or  volunteer  corps  shall  not  within 
one  jear  after  becoming  so  entitled  as  aforesaid  or  (being  an 
infant)  within  one  year  after  attaining  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  whichever  shall  last  happen  unless  in  any  case  prevented 
by  death  become  engaged  in  some  profession  or  business  and 
(such  profession  or  business  not  being  that  of  the  Army)  also 
become  a  member  of  some  militia  or  volunteer  corps  or  (iii.) 
shall  discontinue  ♦  to  be  engaged  in  any  profession  or  business 
before  he  shall  have  been  engaged  for  lO  consecutive  years  in 
some  profession  or  business  then  and  in  every  such  case  and 
forthwith  if  such  person  shall  be  tenant  for  life  then  his  estate 
for  life  shall  absolutely  determine  and  if  tenant  in  tail  male 
then  his  estate  in  tail  male  shall  absolutely  determine  and  the 
Dalham  Hall  Estate  shall  but  subject  to  estates  if  any  prior 
to  the  estate  of  such  person  immediately  go  to  the  person  next 
in  remainder  under  the  limitations  hereinbefore  contained  in 
the  same  manner  as  if  in  the  case  of  a  person  whose  estate  for 
life  is  so  made  to  determine  that  person  were  dead  or  in  the 
case  of  a  person  whose  estate  in  tail  male  is  so  made  to  deter- 
mine were  dead  and  there  were  a  general  failure  of  issue  of  that 
person  inheritable  to  the  estate  which  is  so  made  to  determine. 
Provided  that  the  determination  of  an  estate  for  life  shall  not 
prejudice  or   affect  any  contingent  remainders  expectant  thereon 


APPENDIX  343 

and  that  after  such  determination  the  Dalham  Hall  Estate  shall 
but  subject  to  estates  if  any  prior  as  aforesaid  remain  to  the  use 
of  the  Trustees  appointed  by  my  said  Will  and  the  Codicil  thereto 
dated  the  nth  day  of  October  1901  during  the  residue  of  the 
life  of  the  person  whose  estate  for  life  so  determines  upon  trust 
during  the  residue  of  the  life  of  that  person  to  pay  the  rents  and 
profits  of  the  Dalham  Hall  Estates  to  or  permit  the  same  to  be 
received  by  the  person  or  persons  for  the  time  being  entitled 
under  the  limitations  hereinbefore  contained  to  the  first  vested 
estate  in  remainder  expectant  on  the  death  of  that  person. 

11.  I  give  all  arrears  of  rents  and  profits  due  to  me  at  my 
death  and  all  shares  and  proportions  of  rents  and  profits  not 
actually  due  but  accruing  due  at  my  death  and  payable  to  my 
estate  after  my  death  from  the  Dalham  Hall  Estate  but  subject 
to  payment  of  all  outgoings  properly  chargeable  against  the 
same  and  not  dicharged  in  my  lifetime  and  also  all  my  wines 
liquors  and  consumable  stores  at  my  death  in  or  about  Dalham 
Hall  and  all  my  carriage  horses  harness  and  stable  furniture  and 
effects  and  garden  and  farming  live  and  dead  stock  and  effects 
which  at  my  death  shall  be  in  or  about  Dalham  Hall  or  the 
stables  thereof  or  in  or  about  any  other  part  of  the  Dalham  Hall 
Estate  to  my  brother  Francis  Rhodes  or  other  the  person  who 
at  my  death  shall  become  entitled  to  the  possession  or  to  the 
receipt  of  the  rents  and  profits  of  the  Dalham  Hall  Estate. 

12.  I  give  all  my  plate  linen  china  glass  books  pictures  prints 
furniture  and  articles  of  household  use  or  ornament  which  at 
my  death  shall  be  in  or  about  Dalham  Hall  (hereinafter  referred 
to  as  "the  heirlooms")  unto  the  Trustees  named  in  my  said  Will 
and  Codicil  Upon  trust  that  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  shall  allow 
the  same  to  be  used  and  enjoyed  so  far  as  the  law  permits  by 
the  persons  or  person  who  under  the  limitations  hereinbefore 
contained  is  or  are  for  the  time  being  in  the  actual  possession 
or  in  the  receipt  of  the  rents  and  profits  of  the  Dalham  Hall 


344  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

Estate  but  so  that  the  heirlooms  shall  not  vest  absolutely 
in  any  person  being  tenant  in  tail  male  by  purchase  who 
does  not  attain  the  age  of  21  years  but  on  the  death  of  such 
person  under  the  age  of  21  years  shall  go  and  devolve  in  the 
same  manner  as  if  they  had  been  freehold  hereditaments  of  in- 
heritance and  had  been  included  in  the  devise  in  settlement 
hereinbefore  contained.  And  I  direct  that  an  inventory  of 
the  heirlooms  except  such  of  them  as  from  their  trifling  value 
or  perishable  nature  or  from  any  other  cause  it  may  be  con- 
sidered inexpedient  to  include  in  an  inventory  as  to  vi^hich  I 
give  full  discretion  to  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  shall  be  taken  in 
duplicate  as  soon  as  convenient  after  my  death  and  each  copy 
shall  be  signed  by  the  person  entitled  to  the  use  of  the  heir- 
looms therein  specified  and  by  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  and  one 
copy  shall  be  delivered  to  the  person  entitled  to  the  possession 
of  the  heirlooms  therein  specified  who  shall  sign  a  receipt  for  the 
same  and  the  other  copy  shall  be  kept  by  my  Trustees  or  Trustee. 
And  I  empower  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  from  time  to  time  and 
until  the  heirlooms  shall  become  absolutely  vested  to  inspect 
the  same  and  to  provide  for  the  custody  preservation  or  restora- 
tion and  repair  and  insurance  thereof  (so  far  as  the  same  are 
capable  of  insurance)  at  the  expense  of  the  usufructuary  but  my 
Trustees  or  Trustee  shall  not  incur  any  liability  by  neglect  or 
omission  so  to  do.  And  I  declare  that  the  heirlooms  or  any  of 
them  may  from  time  to  time  with  the  consent  of  my  Trustees 
be  exchanged  or  the  form  or  fashion  thereof  altered  or  other 
articles  substituted  at  the  expense  of  the  usufructuary  for  the 
time  being  provided  the  intrinsic  value  thereof  be  not  diminished 
and  thereupon  the  inventories  shall  be  altered  accordingly 
And  I  declare  that  when  a  receipt  as  hereinbefore  provided 
shall  have  been  signed  by  the  person  entitled  to  the  use  of  the 
heirlooms  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  shall  not  be  liable  in  any  way 
for  any  loss  damage  or  deception  or  for  any  omission  to  insure 
or   any  other  omission   or   any   unauthorised   dealing  or   disposi- 


APPENDIX  345 

tion  therewith.  And  that  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  may  with 
the  consent  of  any  usufructuary  or  if  there  be  no  such  person  of 
full  age  then  at  their  or  his  discretion  let  the  use  and  enjoyment 
of  the  heirlooms  or  any  of  them  together  with  Dalham  Hall  under 
any  lease  capable  of  being  made  thereof  provided  that  the  tenant 
covenant  or  agree  with  Trustees  or  Trustee  to  keep  the  same 
during  his  tenancy  in  repair  and  insured  against  loss  or  damage 
by  fire  so  far  as  they  are  capable  of  being  so  insured  and  during 
any  such  tenancy  my  Trustees  or  Trustee  shall  not  be  liable  for 
any  loss  damage  or  depreciation  in  respect  of  the  heirlooms 
delivered  to  the  tenant. 

13.  I  direct  that  within  two  years  after  my  death  my  Trustees 
or  Trustee  shall  by  means  of  moneys  forming  part  of  or  raised 
by  sale  or  mortgage  of  my  South  Africa  property  situate  out 
of  the  United  Kingdom  pay  off  and  discharge  any  incumbrances 
on  the  Dalham  Hall  Estate  or  any  part  thereof  created  by  me 
and  existing  at  my  death  and  procure  the  incumbered  pro- 
perty to  be  freed  and  discharged  from  such  incumbrances  and 
in  the  meantime  shall  out  of  the  like  moneys  pay  the  interest 
payable  in  respect  of  such  incumbrances. 

14.  Whereas  I  am  not  satisfied  that  the  fortune  of  my  said 
brother  Francis  Rhodes  is  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  keep  up 
the  Dalham  Hall  Estate  therefore  I  give  to  him  out  of  the  income 
of  my  South  African  property  situate  out  of  the  United  Kingdom 
an  annuity  of  £2,(X)0  during  his  life  but  only  so  long  as  he  shall 
be  entitled  to  the  actual  possession  or  to  the  receipt  of  the  rents 
and  profits  of  the  Dalham  Hall  Estate  under  the  limitations 
hereinbefore  contained. 

15.  If  at  my  death  the  aforesaid  purchase  from  the  said  Sir 
R.  Affleck  shall  not  have  been  completed  then  I  direct  my 
Trustees  or  Trustee  at  the  expense  of  my  South  African  pro- 
perty situate  out  of  the  United  Kingdom  to  pay  the  purchase- 


346  CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 

money  for  and  in  all  respects  to  complete  such  purchase  and  I 
give  them  or  him  all  sufficient  powers  and  authorities  to  enable 
them  or  him  to  do  so  including  power  to  raise  money  for  such 
completion  by  the  mortgage  of  the  said  purchased  estate  such 
mortgage  being  for  the  purpose  of  clause  13  hereof  considered 
an  incumbrance  created  by  me  existing  at  my  death  and  I 
direct  that  the  purchased  estate  shall  be  conveyed  to  the  Trustees 
named  in  my  said  Will  to  uses  necessary  or  proper  to  give  effect 
to  this  present  Codicil  And  subject  as  aforesaid  I  confirm  my 
said  Will  and  the  said  Codicil  of  the  nth  day  of  October  1901. 

In  Witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  this  Eigh- 
teenth day  of  January  One  thousand  nine  hundred  and  two. 
Signed  by  the  said  Cecil  John  Rhodes  as  and\ 

for  a  second  Codicil  to  his  said  Will  in  the 

presence   of   us   present   at    the   same   time 

who  at  his  request  in  his  presence  and  in 

the  presence   of  each   other   have  hereunto  \ 

subscribed  our  names  as  witnesses.  / 

A.  Sawyer, 

C.    PiRMIN, 

Servants  at  the  Burlington  Hotel,  W.,  London. 

March   12,   1902. 
I  make  Dr.  Jameson  one  of  the  Trustees  to  my  Will  with  the 
same  rights  as  Lord  Milner  Lord  Rosebery  Mr.  Michell  Lord 
Grey  Mr.  Beit  and  Mr.  Hawksley. 

C.  J.  RHODES. 
Witness 

G.  J.  Krieger. 
A.  Helaler. 


C.  J.  RHODES. 


INDEX 


Abercorn,  Duke  of,  ii.  121,  259. 
Aborigines'   Protection   Society,   i. 

102,  276;  ii.  103. 
Adendorff,    Mr.,   ii.   26,    39. 
African  Lakes  Company,  i.  341. 
Afrikander    Bond.      See    Bond. 
Alderson,  Mr.,  i.  65. 
Ama-Pondos,  The,  ii.  106. 
Amandebeleland,  i.  252. 
Amandebele  Tribe,   i.   251. 
Amatongaland,   i.   235;   ii.   132. 
Anderson,  Mr.  H.   P.,  ii.  126. 
Andrada,   Col.   d',   i.   332,   333. 
Anglo-German  Agreement,  i.  301. 
Angra  Pequina,  i.  218. 
Anstruther,    Col.,    i.    94. 
Anti-Slavery  Society,  ii.  65. 
Armagh,  Archbishop  of,  ii.  121. 
Arnold-Forster,  Mr.  H.  O.,  i.  273. 
Austral-Africa    Company,    i.    329, 

330. 

Babyan,   i.   276,   277;   ii.   161,   170, 

172,  215. 
Baden-Powell,  Major-Gen.,  i.  309; 

ii.   157,   185. 
Baines  Concession,  Thomas,  i.  257, 

270,  329. 
Bangwaketsi  Concession,  i.  338. 
Banking   Crises,  i.   302 ;   ii.  .29. 
Banyailand,  Republic  of,  ii.  32,  39. 
Baralongs,    Protectorate    over,    i. 

174. 
Baberton  founded,  i.  196. 
Barker,   Mr.   Roderick,   i.   34. 
Barkly,   Sir  Henry,  i.  42,  92,   112, 

114,  119,  126. 
Barkly  West,  i.  94. 


Barnato,  Barney,  i.  57,  58,  66,  76, 

189,  250. 
Barnato   Mining    Copmany,   i.    57, 

65. 
Barotseland,    ceded,    i.    295,    322, 

340;  ii.  299. 
Barry,  Sir  Jacob,  i.  63. 
Barthelemy,    Father,    ii.    157,    181, 

182. 
Basutoland,   i.    135,    137,   138,    149, 

150,    153,    154,    156,    199. 
Basutoland  Losses  Commission,  i. 

139,   143,   145,   153. 
Bathoen,  i.  338. 
Batlapin  Territory,  i.   176. 
Baxter's    Gully,   i.    65. 
Beach,    Sir   Michael   Hicks,   i.    87, 

144;  ii.  212. 
Beaconsfield,  Lord.     See  Disraeli. 
Beal,    Col.,    ii.    157. 
Bechuanaland,  i.  152,  160,  180,  181, 

199;    Annexation   of    British,    i. 

201,    212,   .213,   275;    ii.    134,    135. 
Bechuanaland    Border    Police,    i. 

271. 
Bechuanaland  Protectorate,  i.  212, 

337;  ii.   136,  306. 
Beit,    Mr.    Alfred,    i.    66,    76,    193, 

252,    335;    ii.    152,   210,   321,   335, 

346. 
Berry,  Dr.,  ii.  246. 
Bethell,   Mr.,  i.   163,   165,  173,   174, 

176,  177. 
Beyers,  Gen.,  i.  237. 
Bills  of  Exchange  Act,  ii.   72. 
Bishop's    Stortford,   i.    14,    16. 
Bishop's    Stortford    School,   i.    17. 
Bismarck,    Prince,    i.   218. 
"Blanket  Vote,"  i.  244. 


348 


CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


Bloemfontein   Conference,  ii.   262. 
Blyth,    Capt.,    i.    157,    199. 
Bokleni,  ii.  108. 
Bond,  The  Afrikander,  i.  99,  100, 

156,   199,  234;   history,  238,  239, 

240;  Constitution,  241,  242;  and 

Rhodes,    300;    ii.    18,    194,    207, 

226,  233,  245,  291,  298. 
Bond,   Capt.,  i.   37. 
Borckenhagen,    Mr.,    i.    239,    283; 

ii.  20. 
Bower,    Sir    Graham,    i.    196,    201, 

214. 
Bradlaugh,  Mr.,  i.  286. 
Bradley,  Dr.  G.  G.,  i.  80. 
Brand,    Mr.   Cristoffel,   i.   112. 
Brand,   President   Sir  John,  i.  78, 

93,    94,    112,    117,    128,    132,    133, 

137,  154,   199,  216,   236,  237,  239, 

262;   ii.  132,  139. 
British     South    Africa    Company. 

See  Chartered  Company. 
Brownlee,   Mr.,   i.    121. 
Bryce,  Rt.  Hon.  James,  ii.  150. 
Bulawayo,    Rhodes    and,    ii.    2,    3, 

203,  210,  294,  303,  304,  322. 
Bulawayo  Fund,  ii.  322. 
Bulwer,  Gen.  Sir  Henry,  i.  219. 
Burdett-Coutts,    Baroness,   ii.    124. 
Burgers,  President,  i.  78,  271. 
Butler,    Rev.    A.    G.,    i.    85. 
Buxton,    Sir    Thomas    Fowell,    i. 

102,  277. 

Cameron,  Gen.  Sir  W.,  ii.  59,  109. 
Campbell,  Lieut.  Adair,  i.  331. 
Campbell-Bannerman,    Sir    Henry, 

ii.   52. 
Cape    to    Cairo    Railway,    ii.    254, 

257,   295. 
Cape  Colony ;  history,  i.  108,  109, 

110;   Constitution  granted,   111; 

Responsible     Government,     and 

First  Ministry,   113,  114;  policy 


of  Lord  Carnarvon,  115;  Cus- 
toms Union,  160;  carrying 
trade,  160,  247;  University 
question,  ii.  52,  53 ;  martial  law, 
and  suspension  of  Constitution, 
ii.    31L 

Cape  Argus,  i.  275. 

Cape  Dutch,  i.  104;  ii.  57. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  Bank,  i.  302. 

Cape  Times,  ii.  24. 

Cape  Town,  Archbishop  of,  ii.  288, 
300,  316;   Cathedral,  ii.  297. 

Cape  Wine  trade,  ii.  44,  76,  77. 

Carnarvon,  Lord,  Secretary  of 
State  for  the  Colonies,  i.  61,  86, 
115,   116,   125,   126,   127. 

Carnegie,  Rev.   D.,  ii.  173. 

Carrington,  Major-Gen.  Sir  Fred- 
erick, i.  272,  308,  324;  ii.  32, 
158,  160,  165. 

Cathcart,   Sir   George,   i.    136. 

Cetywayo,   i.   78. 

Chaka,  ii.  106. 

Chamberlain,  Rt.  Hon.  Joseph,  i. 
276 ;  Secretary  of  State  for  the 
Colonies,  ii.  138,  141,  153. 

Charter,  Royal,  i.  257,  278,  279, 
335,    345. 

Chartered  Company,  i.  257,  258, 
278,  279,  288,  337,  338;  ii.  101, 
130,  136,  140,  152,  226,  228,  254, 
257,  304. 

Chelmsford,  Lord,  i.  79. 

Chibe,   ii.    39. 

Chinese    labour,   i.    260;    ii.    303. 

Churchill,  Lord  Randolph,  ii.  38, 
45. 

Clarke,  Lieut. -Col.  Sir  Marshal, 
i.   150,  199. 

Clive,  Lord  Robert,  i.  4. 

Cole,  Mr.,  i.  40,   113. 

Colenbrander,  Mr.,  i.  272,  276,  309, 
315;  ii.  85,  168. 


INDEX 


349 


Colesberg  Kopje    (Kimberley),   i. 

36,   40,    42. 
Colonial  Disarmament  Act,  i.  137. 
Colquhoun,  Mr.  A.  R.,  i.  312,  330. 
Compagnie  Frangaise,   i.   190. 
Concession  Commission,  i.  338. 
Concessions   in    Rhodesia,    i.    328- 

342. 
Consolidated   Goldfields  of   South 

Africa,  i.  197. 
Constitution    Amendment    Bill,    i. 

114. 
Convention  of  London,  i.  200,  201 ; 

ii.   141. 
Convention  of  Pretoria,  i.  129. 
Cotton  in  Natal,  i.  30. 
Cromer,  Lord,  ii.  262. 
Cronje,   Gen.,  ii.   278. 
Cronwright-Schreiner,     Mr.,     and 

the  Bond,  i.  239,  240. 
Cunynghame,  Sir  Arthur,  i.  115. 
Currie,  Sir  Philip,  ii.   164. 
Customs   Convention,   i.   230,   281, 

282. 
Customs  Duties,  i.  228,  230,  250; 

ii.  136. 
Customs   Union,   i.    160,   249,   294. 

Dalham  Hall  Estate,  ii.  312,  340. 

Damaraland,    ii.   137,    145. 

D'Andrada,  Col.     See  Andrada. 

Davis,  Mr.  Oliver,  ii.  94. 

Dawkins,  Capt.,  i.  203,  204. 

Dawnay,  Mr.  Guy,  ii.   129,   130. 

Dawson,  Mr.  J.  W.,  ii.  84. 

De  Beers  Mining  Company,  i.  57, 
64,  185,  188;  amalgamation  with 
Kimberley  mine,  190,  191 ;  regis- 
tration of  Consolidated  Mines, 
192,  250;  finances  the  Chartered 
Company,  278;  ii.  54,  60,  155, 
195,    263,    277,    282,    297,    304. 

Delagoa  Bay,  i.  87,  169,  267,  294; 


ii.  35;  extension  of  railwayto,   i. 

159,  247;  ii.  133,  140. 
De  la  Rey,  i.  170,  204. 
Derby,  Lord,  i.  165,  205. 
Devenish,  Mr.,  i.  69. 
De    Villiers,    Sir    Henry,    i.    128, 

243;  ii.  63,  69. 
De  Waal,  Mr.  D.  C,  i.  267,  296; 

ii.  38,  39,  156,  193,  239. 
De  Waal,  Mr.  P.,  ii.  193. 
Diamonds,  discovery  of,  i.  33. 
Diamond  Buying  Syndicate,  i.  288. 
Diamond  Fields,  i.  33,  34,  39,  53, 

58,  68,  93,  185,  246. 
Dicey,    Mr.    Edward,   ii.   246. 
Dilke,  Sir  Charles,  i.  87,  219,  301. 
Disraeli,  Mr.,  i.  86,  87,  94,  96;  ii. 

98. 
Doyle,  Mr.  Dennis,  i.  310. 
Drifts,  the,  ii.  140. 
Du  Plessis,  Mr.,  i.  240;  ii.  207. 
Du  Preez,  Mr.,  ii.  26. 
Durban,  i.  23,  56. 
Du   Toit,   Rev.   S.   J.,  i.  238,  239, 

242;    ii.   194. 
Du  Toit's   Pan  Mines,  i.  187. 
Dynamite  Factory,  ii.  201. 

Eastern  Pondoland,  i.  226. 
Egypt,  proposed  evacuation  of,  ii. 

48. 
Elliott,  Sir  C.  B.,  i.  281. 
Empress   Frederick,   H.  I.   M.,   ii. 

309. 
Escombe,  Mr.  Harry,  ii.  210,  265. 
Exploring  Company,  i.  274. 

Farmers'  Association,  i.  242. 
Farrar,  Sir  George,  ii.  154,  240. 
Farwell,   Lieut.,  i.   25. 
Faure,  Mr.  R.  H.,  i.  296. 
Faure,  Sir  Pieter,  ii.  70. 
Federal   Union    of    South   Africa, 
ii.  34,  60,  159,  200,  203,  209,  210, 


350 


CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


226,  245,  255,  263,  282,  304,  305, 
322. 

Ferreira,    Col.,    ii.    33. 

Fiennes,  Hon.  Eustace,  i.  332. 

Fife,  Duke  of,  ii.  130. 

Fingoes  in  Rhodesia,  ii.  250. 

Forbes,  Major,  i.  332;  ii.  89,  90. 

Fox,  Mr.  F.  W.,  ii.  65. 

Franchise  and   Ballot   Bill,   ii.   54. 

Franchise,  Native,  i.  230,  244;  ii. 
119. 

Franchise,   Transvaal,   i.   130,   217. 

Free  State,  Orange,  and  Trans- 
vaal, i.  131,  216,  281,  282;  ii.  139, 
265,  266,  270;  Customs  Union,  i. 
249. 

French,    Gen.,   ii.    280. 

Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  i.  86,  87,  120, 
144,  218. 

Frost,  Sir  John,  ii.  70. 

Froude,  Mr.  J.  A.,  i.  61,  102,  115, 
116,  117,  118. 

Fruit  farms  at  the  Cape,  ii.  201. 

Fry,  Mr.,  i.  252,  253. 

Fuller,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  104;  ii.  194. 

Gaika   war,  i.  78,  86,   121. 
Gallavi^ay,   Dr.,  i.   53. 
Gama,  Vasco  da,  i.  25. 
Garrett,  Mr.   E.,  ii.  133. 
Germany  in  South  Africa,  i.  118, 

130,     217,     218,     300,     319,     342; 

ii.  64,  79,  101,  121,  131,  137,  145, 

256,    257,    259. 
Gifford,   Hon.   Maurice,  ii.  89. 
Gififord,   Lord,    i.   335. 
Gilbey,  Mr.,  ii.  25. 
Gladstone,   Mr.   W.   E.,  i.   87,  94, 

259;   ii.  44,   48,   51,  262. 
Gladstone,    Mrs.,   ii.    127. 
Glendale,  i.    39,  41. 
Glen  Grey  Bill,  ii.  70,  117,  134,  229. 
Goaleka   tribe,   i.   235. 
Goaleka  war,  i.  121. 


Gold  in  Transvaal,  i.  51,  196,  249. 
Gold     Fields     Company,   Consoli- 
dated, i.  197,  275. 
Gooch,   Trooper,   ii.    180,   181. 
Goodenough,  Gen.,  ii.  133. 
Goold-Adams,    M'ajor,    i.    255 ;    ii. 

33. 
Gordon,    Major-Gen.,    in    Basuto- 

land,   i.    138,    139,    140,    141,    142, 

153 ;  compared  with  Rhodes,  ii. 

298. 
Goshen,   Republic   of,   i.    153,   163, 

167,    170,   171,   204. 
Gouveia,   i.   332,   333. 
Graham,   Lieut.,  i.  332. 
Graham,  Mr.  R.,  i.  64. 
Granville,   Lord,   ii.   51. 
Grey,   Earl,  ii.   130,   160,   175,   178, 

195,    322,    335,    346. 
Grimmer,   Mr.,   ii.   166,   174,  337. 
Griqualand  West,  i.  42,  92,  93,  94, 

113,  117,  161,  162. 
Grobilaar,  Piet,  i.  250,  251. 
Grogan,  Mr.  E.  S.,  ii.  294,  295. 
Groote   Schuur,    ii.   5,   7,   8,   9,   10, 

12,    115,    121,    185,   202,    203,   288, 

298,  301,  309,  326. 
Gungunhama  of  Gazaland,  i.  333, 

334. 

Haggard,  Mr.  A.  W.,  i.  271. 
Hammond,  Mr.  John  Hays,  ii.  121, 

122,    123,    124,    125,    154. 
Harcourt,    Sir   W.    V.,   ii.   51,   52, 

77,   127,  207,  295. 
Harris,  Lord,  i.  220. 
Harrison,  Mr.  Christopher,  i.  331. 
Harrison,  Mr.  Frederic,  i.  277. 
Hawkins,  Dr.  Edward,  i.  81. 
Hawkins,  Mr.  H.  C,  i.  31,  36,  51, 

63,    68. 
Hawksley,  Mr.  B.  F.,  ii.  321,  335. 

346. 
Hay,  Lieut.-Gen.,  i.  92. 


INDEX 


35^ 


Heany,   Capt,   i.   314. 

Heaton,  Mr.  Henniker,  ii.  260. 

Helae,    ii.    169,    173,    174. 

Heligoland  Agreement,  ii.  101. 

Helm,  Rev.  S.  P.,  ii.  27,  85. 

Heyman,  Capt.,  i.  334. 

Hofmeyr,  Mr.  J.  H.,  i.  99,  100, 
103,  104,  134,  195,  198,  243,  299; 
ii.  25,  28,  34,  44,  45,  46,  54,  69, 
134,  137,  145,  156,  190,  207,  223, 
240,  244,  292,  326. 

Holtzhausen,  Mr.,  ii.  193. 

Home  Rule,  Rhodes  and,  i.  248, 
259,  260,  261;  ii.  30,  48,  49;  Sir 
Hercules  Robinson  on,  ii.  98. 

Hiibner,  Baron  von,  i.  183. 

Huluhulu  Umteto,  i.  334. 

Ikaning,  ii.  140. 

Imperial  East  Africa  Company,  i. 

279. 
Innes.      See    Rose-Innes. 
Inyanga,  ii.   175,  220;   farms,  337; 

fund,   323. 
Isaacs,  Barnett.     See  Barnato. 
Izwi  Labantu,  ii.  221. 

Jameson,  Dr.  L.  S.,  i.  76,  82,  189, 
280,  310,  311,  343;  ii.  2,  33,  53, 
85,  87,  88,  123,  130,  142,  157,  183, 
222,   292,    304,    318,    319,    346. 

Jameson  Raid,  i.  5,  125 ;  ii.  124, 
142-188 ;  debated  in  Cape  Parlia- 
ment, ii.  189,  et  seq.;  nomina- 
tion of  Select  Committee,  194 ; 
Select  Committee  of  House  of 
Commons,   205,  206,  312. 

Joel,  Mr.,   i.  199. 

Johannesburg,  discovery  of  gold, 
i.   196. 

Johnson,  Major  Frank,  i.  308,  313 ; 
ii.  35. 

Johnston,  Sir  Henry,  i.  341 ;  ii.  64. 

Jones,  Mr.  C.  T.,  ii.  194. 

Jorissen,  Mr.,  i.  162. 


Joubert,  Gen.  Piet,  i.  204,  212,  215, 

235,  253;  ii.  31,  63. 
Juta,  Mr.  H.  H.,  ii.  102. 

Kalihari,  proposed  colonisation 
of,  ii.  134. 

Keate,  Mr.,  i.  93;  award,  152. 

Keble,   Rev.  John,   i.  81. 

Kekewich,  Lieut.-Col.  R.  G.,  ii. 
272,  284. 

Kemp,  Mr.  C.  W.   M.,  i.  S3. 

Kenilworth  model  village,  ii.  60. 

Khama,  i.  212,  271,  309,  311,  339; 
ii.   39,   88. 

Kimberley,  discovery  of  diamonds, 
i.  33;  electoral  division,  94; 
financial  depression,  185 ;  Exhi- 
bition, ii.  59;  siege,  271-281; 
Honoured  Dead  Memorial,  301. 

Kimberley  Central  Diamond  Min- 
ing Company,  i.  57. 

Kimberley,  Lord,  Colonial  Secre- 
tary, i.  36,  102,  144. 

Kimberley   Mine,  i.  36,   188. 

Kitchener,   Lord,   ii.  204,  237,  258. 

Knight-Bruce,    Bishop,   i.   255. 

Knutsford,  Lord,  Colonial  Secre- 
tary, i.  273,  279,  304,  336;  ii.  94. 

Kotze,  Mr.  Justice,  ii.  62,  63,  205. 

Kreli,  i.  78,  235. 

Krige,   Mr.,   ii.   76. 

Kruger,  President,  i.  34,  78 ;  over- 
tures to  Free  State,  131 ;  pa- 
triotic ambitions,  132,  236 ; 
covets  Swaziland,  133,  235 ;  rail- 
way projects,  160;  aggressions 
in  Bechuanaland,  200,  201 ;  and 
Sir  C.  Warren,  208 ;  first  meets 
Rhodes,  211;  financial  difficul- 
ties, 215,  237 ;  and  Matabeleland, 
253 ;  Mashonaland  raids,  ii.  31- 
34 ;  character,  43 ;  re-election, 
63;  and  the  Kaiser,  131,  144; 
and  the  Raid,  154. 


3S^ 


CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


Labouchere,   Mr.,  ii.   91,  202,  205, 

213. 
Labram,   Mr.,  ii.  279. 
Lagden,  Sir  Godfrey,  i.  150. 
Laing,    Mr.    John,    i.    296;    ii.    46, 

70. 
Laing's  Nek,  i.  95. 
Land    Settlement,   ii.    312. 
Langalibalele,  i.  26. 
Lamula'mkunzi    (Rhodes),  ii.  169. 
Lascelles,   Sir  Frank,  ii.  257,  289. 
Lauder,  Mr.  J.  E.  A.  Dick,  i.  53. 
Laurier,   Sir   Wilfrid,   ii.   223. 
Lawrence,    Rev.   A.    L.    Barnes,   i. 

84. 
Lawrence,  Mr.  Justice,  i.  64,  105. 
Lendy,  Capt.,  ii.  85,  86,  87,  88,  94. 
Leopold,  King  of  the  Belgians,  i. 

140;  ii.  258. 
Le  Roex,  i.  296. 
Letsie,  i.  142,  157,  199. 
Lewanika,  i.  339,  340;  ii.  299. 
Leyds,    Dr.,    i.    211,    212,    283;    ii. 

131,  145,  254,  272,  299. 
Linchwe,  i.  338. 
Lippert  Concession,  i.  336. 
Lippert,   Mr.   Edward,  i.  336. 
Liquor   Law   Amendment  Act,    ii. 

34. 
Livingstone,    Dr.,    i.    200,    270;    ii. 

65. 
Lobatsi  block,  i.  339. 
Lo   Bengula,  i.   235,  250,  251,  252, 

253,  254,  255,  256,  257,  268,  272, 

288,    309,    310,    315,    330;    ii.    39, 

83,    88,    90,    91. 
Loch,   Lord,   i.   287,  295,  301,  317; 

ii.   33,   44,    53,    71,    88,   109,    113, 

133,    155. 
"Long  Cecil,"  ii.  279. 
Lourenco  Marques,  ii.  36,  96,  121. 
Lowe,  Major,  i.  203. 

Macdonald,  Mr.,  ii.  258. 


Macdonald,  Sir  John,  ii.  29. 

Mackarness,  Mr.  Frederic,  i.  303; 
ii.  34,  35. 

Mackenzie,  Rev.  John,  i.  200,  203, 
204,  208,  273. 

Macleod,  Dr.  Donald,  i.  98. 

M'Neill,  Mr.  Swift,  i.  248. 

Mafeking,  ii.   142,  303. 

Maguire,  Mr.  Rochfort,  i.  253, 
271,  289. 

Mahdi,   the,  ii.  62. 

Maholies,  ii.  92. 

Maitland,  Sir  Peregrine,  i.  136. 

IMajuba  Hill,  i.  95,  128. 

Malay  Community  in  Kimberley, 
ii.  286,  287. 

Manicaland,  i.  330. 

Mankoroane,  i.  103,  152,  161,  162, 
163,  171,  180,  320. 

Mann's  Emigration  Scheme,  i.  29. 

Mapisa,  ii.  169,  173. 

Martin,  Sir  Richard,  ii.  160,  176, 
217. 

Mashonaland,  occupation,  i.  305; 
concessions  in,  331,  333,  335; 
Boer  raid,  ii.  31 ;  visit  of  Cape 
farmers,  32;  Rhodes's  tour,  35; 
rebellion,  138 ;  joins  Matabele 
rising,  158. 

Mashonaland,  Chamber  of  Mines, 
ii.  303. 

Massouw,  i.  103,  152. 

Masupha,  i.  142,  148,  154,  157,  199. 

Matabeleland,  i.  250,  253;  conces- 
sions, 255,  256,  305,  306;  Selous' 
expedition,  306,  307;  war  of 
1893,  ii.  5,  83-99 ;  Order  in  Coun- 
cil, 100,  111,  226;  second  war, 
157-184. 

Matoko,  i.  333. 

Matopo  Dam,  ii.  172,  225,  258,  317. 

Matopo  Hills,  ii.  3,  160,  171,  215, 
221,  .224,   305,  321. 

Maund,  Mr.  A.  E.,  i.  274.  276. 


INDEX 


3S3 


Meade,  Mr.  R.  H.,  ii.  130. 
Menpes,  Mr.  Mortimer,  ii.  15. 
Merriman,  Mr.  J.  X.,  i.  103,  107, 

113,  114,  115,  122,  123,  163,  164, 
187,  195,  198,  227,  239,  240,  268, 
296,  320;  ii.  29,  45,  53,  66,  69, 
118,  134,  190,  191,  196,  239,  240, 
241,    265. 

Metcalfe,  Sir  Charles,  ii.  157,  173, 
174,  290. 

IMetternich,  Count  P.,  ii.  309. 

Methuen,  Lt.-Gen.  Lord,  i.  311. 

Michell,  Sir  Lewis,  i.  129,  132, 
264,  302;  ii.  4,  60,  61,  147,  210, 
211,  212,  214,  215,  216,  217,  220, 
223,  315,  318,  321,  335,  346. 

Military  Plague  Camp,  ii.  301, 
302. 

Mills,  Sir  Charles,  i.  280;  ii.  66. 

Milner,  Lord,  i.  105;  ii.  210,  229, 
263,  270,   290,  293,  321,  335,  346. 

Milton,  Sir  William,  ii.  107. 

Mining  Board  debt,  i.  186,  187. 

Mitchell,   Sir  Charles,  ii.  36. 

M'limo,  the,  ii.  211. 

Moffat,  Mr.  J.  S.,  i.  252,  271. 

Mokhuchwane,  i.  251. 

Molteno,  Sir  John,  i.  103,  112,  113, 

114,  116,  117,  118,  119,  121,  122, 
123,  124,  125. 

Montsoia,  i.  152,  204,  322;  ii.  140. 
Moodie,  Mr.  G.  P.,  i.  196. 
Moremi,  i.  339. 
Morley,  Lord,  ii.  48,  50. 
Morris,  Mr.  Sidnay,  i.  337. 
Moshesh,  i.  135,  137. 
Moshette,  i.  153,  169. 
Mosilikatze,  ii.  93,  216,  305. 
Mowbray  Hostel,  ii.  301. 
'Mtasa,  i.  332,  334. 
"Mugwumps,"    the,    ii.    233,    291, 

296,  297. 
Muizenberg,  ii.  308,  316. 


Napier,  Col.,  ii.  157. 

Natal,  history  of,  i.  25;  life  in,  27, 
28;  cotton  growing  in,  28,  29, 
30,  32;  Boer  invasion,  95;  and 
Lord  Carnarvon,  115 ;  sugar  in- 
dustry, ii.  201;  coal,  210; 
Customs  Union,  229;  loyal  co- 
operation,  271. 

Native  Franchise.     See  Franchise. 

Netherlands  South  African  Com- 
pany, ii.  53. 

New  Rush  (Kimberley),  i.  36,  43. 

Nicholl,   Mr.,  i.  338. 

Nicholson,   Col.,  ii.  177. 

Niekerk.     See  Van. 

Northern  Expansion,  i.  319,  et  seq. 

Nqweketo,  ii.   108. 

Nqwiliso,   ii.   107,   108. 

'Nyanda,  ii.  183. 

Nyasaland,  i.  77,  280,  341. 

Occupation  Day,  i.  316. 

Orange    Free    State.      See    Free 

State. 
O'Reilly,  Mr.,  ii.  76. 
Oriel    College,    i.    80,    82;    ii.    287, 

325. 
Oriel   Mining  Company,   i.   197. 
Owen,  Capt.,  i.  87. 

Paarl,  the,  i.  231. 

Palgrave,  Lord,  i.  118. 

Parker,   Mr.   Stafford,  i.   34. 

Parkes,  Sir  Henry,  ii.  29. 

Parliamentary  Representation  Bill, 
ii.  229. 

Parliamentary  Voters'  Registra- 
tion Bill,  ii.  268,  269. 

Parnell,  Mr.,  i.  259,  261. 

Paterson,  Mr.,   i.   116,   119. 

Peace  Preservation  Act,  i.  137. 

Peacock,  Miss  L.  (Mrs.  Rhodes), 
i.  13. 


354 


CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


Pcnnefather,  Col.,  i.  311,  313,  317, 

324. 
Pfeil,   Count,  i.  235. 
Philipson-Stow,    Mr.,    i.    187. 
Phillips,  IMr.  Lionel,  ii.  115,  154. 
Phylloxera  disease,  i.   198,  226. 
Pickering,  Mr.  Neville,  i.  143,  192. 
Pinto,  ]\rajor  Serpa,  i.  330. 
Plumer,  Lieut.-Col.  H.,  ii.  157,  160, 

167. 
Pondoland,   ii.   105,   106,    109,   110, 

134. 
Pope,   I\Ir.,  ii.  206. 
Porter,  Mr.  William,  i.  112,  114. 
Portugal    in   South   Africa,    i.    87, 

331,  332,  333,  334,  335;  ii.  95,  96, 

121,   145. 
Premier  Mine,  ii.  276. 
Pretorius,     President,     i.     33,     93, 

131. 
Progressive    Party,    ii.    235,    236, 

247,   252,   292,   296. 
Protectorate,  the,  i.  212,  273,  337, 

ii.  136,  139. 
Providential    Pass,   i.  315. 

Queen  Victori.\,  i.  87,  88;  and 
Babyan,  ii.  172;  and  Rhodes,  ii. 
298,  299. 

Queensland  Government,  ii.  271. 

Raaf,  Commandant,  ii.  93. 
Radi-Kladi,  i.  313. 
Raid.    See  Jameson. 
Railway  Convention,  ii.  46. 
Railway  extension,  i.  56,  219,  225, 

226,  233,  247,  262,  280,  288,  289, 

292,    293,    299,    301;    ii.    77,    78, 

153,  219. 
Redistribution   Bill,  ii.  292. 
Reitz,  President,  i.  239,  282;  ii.  67, 

79,  253. 
Renny-Tailyour,  Mr.,  i.  336. 
Rezende,  Baron  de,  i.  331,  332. 


Rhodes,  Major  Elmhirst.  i.  206. 
Rhodes,   Mr.   Ernest,  i.  206,  210; 

ii.   340,   342. 
Rhodes  family,  i.  8,  et  seq. 
Rhodes,  Rev.  F.  W.,  i.  13,  18,  56, 

77. 
Rhodes,    Col.   Francis   William,   i. 

14,   20,    45,    50,    51,   206;    ii.    140, 

154,  179,  237,  340,   342,  343,  345. 
Rhodes,  Mr.  Herbert,  i.  11,  14,  20, 

22,  27,  29,  30,  33,  36,  45,  51,  77; 

ii.  238. 
Rhodes,  Mr.  S.,  i.  12. 
Rhodes   Scholarships,  ii.  214,   300, 

316,  320,  328-337,  338,  339. 
Rhodes,  Mr.  William,  i.  267,  268. 
Rhodesia,  i.  132,  182,  306,  328,  340, 

341;  area,  342;  ii.  126,  152,  208, 

224;    Customs    tariff.    111,    228, 

264. 
Richardson,  Mr.  J.  C,  ii.  165. 
Ridley,   Major,   ii.   217. 
Riesle,  Mr.,  i.  338. 
Rinderpest,  ii.  5,  156,  158. 
Ripon,  Marquess  of,  ii.  103,  105. 
Roberts,  Lord,  ii.   280,  284. 
Robinson,  Mr.  J.  B.,  i.  187. 
Robinson,  Sir  Hercules,  i.  86,  128, 

196,  200,  251,  284,  285,  286,  299; 

ii.   94,  95,  98,  126,   129,   135,   144, 

154,   189,   191. 
Rosebery,    Lord,    ii.    51,    61,    127, 

130,  254,  322,  335,   346. 
Rose-Innes,  Sir  James,  i.  194,  296, 

298;    ii.    59,    68,    69,    73,   74,    118, 

191,  247,  291. 
Rosmead.    Lord.      See    Robinson, 

Sir  Hercules. 
Rothschild,   Baron  F.  de,  ii.   121; 

and  Sons,  i.  335. 
Rothschild,  Lord,  i.  336. 
Royal  Charter.    See  Charter. 
Royal  Comtnission   re  Transvaal,  i. 

128. 


INDEX 


355 


Rudd,  Mr.   C.  D.,  i.  64,  196,  253, 

268. 
Rudd's  Concession,  i.  268,  271,  279. 

Sarah  Bell,  the,  i.  23. 
Salisbury,  rise  of  township,  i.  316; 

ii.  64,  163. 
Salisbury,  Marquess  of,  ii.  52,  298. 
Sauer,  Mr.  J.  W.,  i.  140,  148,  194, 

198,    268,   290,   296,    298,   299;    ii. 

28,   45,  59,  69,  70,   110,   118,  136, 

191,  239. 
Scanlen,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  101,   103, 

138,  139,  147,  156,  160,  183,  199, 

213;  ii.  110. 
Schermbrucker,  Col.,  ii.  76,  268. 
Schnadhorst,  Mr.,  ii.  48,  49,  50. 
Schreiner,  Mr.  Cronwright,  i.  239, 

240. 
Schreiner,  Mr.  W.  P.,  ii.  70,  102, 

121,  145,  146,  191,  194,  195,  229, 

230,  233,  234,  241,  246,  247,  264, 

265,  271,  290,  291,  292. 
Schreiner,  Mrs.,  sen.,  ii.  146. 
Scott-Turner,  Major,  ii.  272,  277, 

301. 
Sebele,  i.  338. 
Sechele,  i.  337. 
Sechele  Concessions   Syndicate,  i. 

337. 
Secocoeni,  i.  79. 
Secret   Service  Funds,  Transvaal, 

ii.  227,  267. 
Sekombo,  ii.  183. 
Select    Committee    of    House    of 

Commons,  on  the  Raid,  ii.   199, 

205,  207,  212. 
Selous,  Mr.  F.  C,  i.  280,  306,  307, 

316,  330;  ii.  92,  93,  138,  157. 
Shadwell,  Dr.  C.  L.,  i.  81. 
Shangani    River    engagement,    ii. 

90;  Monument,  301,  305,  322. 
Sheba  Mine,  i.  196. 
Shepstone,  Lieut.,  i.  333. 


Shepstone,   Sir  Theophilus,   i.   78, 

118,  119. 
Shippard,    Sir    Sidney,   i.    63,    255, 

271,  272,  324. 
Sigcau,  ii.  108,  109. 
Sivewright,  Sir  James,  i.  281,  296, 

299;   ii.   58,  60,   66,   68,  73,   74. 
Smart,  Dr.,  ii.  275,  277. 
Smit,  Mr.,  i.  235. 
Smuts,  Gen.,  ii.  43,  314. 
Smyth,   Lieut.-Gen.   H.    A.,   i.   287. 
Sm)rth,    Lieut.-Gen.     Leicester,    i. 

153,   156,   199. 
Solomon,  Mr.  R.,  ii.  247,  290. 
Solomon,  Saul,  i.  114. 
Somabulana,  ii.  183. 
South  African  Immigration  Asso- 
ciation,    ii.     301;     League,     226, 

296,   303. 
Southey,  Sir  Richard,  i.  36,  42,  67, 

113,  114;  ii.  59. 
Sprigg,  Sir  Gordon,  i.  95,  102,  103, 

122,  138,  195,  227,  234,  268,  289; 

ii.    35,    45,    53,    66,    70,    145,    146, 

190,  195,  209,  229,  231,  247,  264, 

265,  291. 
St.  Leger,  Mr.  F.  Y.,  ii.  133. 
St.     Pancras,     connection     with 

Rhodes    family,    i.    9,    10;    Old 

Churchyard,  11. 
Standard  Company,  i.  57. 
Stanford,  Col.,  ii.   107. 
Stanhope,  Mr.  P.,  ii.  213. 
Stead,   Mr.  W.  T.,  i.  280;   ii.  16, 

30,  47,  321,  335,  336. 
Stellaland,  Republic  of,  i.  153,  161, 

169,  179,  204. 
Stent,  Mr.  V.,  ii.  166. 
Steyn,  President,  ii.  267,  273. 
Stow,  Mr.,  i.  193. 
Sultan  of  Turkey,  ii.  164,  165. 
Sutherland,  Dr.,  i.  28,  39,  52. 
Swaziland,  5.  235 ;  ii.  54,  112 ;  Con- 
vention, 113,  121,  122,  132,  134. 


356 


CECIL  JOHN  RHODES 


"Taal,"  the,  i.  104;  ii.  57. 

Table  Mountain,  ii.  8. 

Telegraph  extension,  ii.  53,  63,  64 

Temple,  Sir  W.,  i.  17. 

Tennant,  Sir  David,  i.  96 ;  ii.  189. 

Theron,  Mr.,  ii.  110,  191,  196. 

Thompson,  Mr.  Frank,  i.  253. 

"Tony,"   ii.   148,   176,   322. 

Torrens,  Lieut.-Gen.,  i.  226. 

Trans-Continental  Telegraph  Sys- 
tem, i.  288;  ii.  61,  63,  64,  117, 
219,  228,  256,  260. 

Transvaal,  annexation  of,  i.  78; 
rebellion  in.  94,  95;  Union,  118, 
119.  120;  franchise,  129,  130, 
217;  ii.  114;  and  Orange  Free 
State,  i.  131,  216,  282;  trade, 
155,  159;  finances,  215,  237;  ii. 
261;  raid  into  Mashonaland.  ii. 
31;  and  Customs  Tariff,  57;  Na- 
tional Union,  63;  tension  in, 
141 ;  reform  movement,  113,  114, 
206;  claim  for  damages,  223; 
preparations  in  1898,  252;  ag- 
gressions, 270;  attack  on  Judi- 
ciary, 204,  205 ;  ultimatum,  275. 
Trollope,  Mr.  Anthony,  i.  78. 
"Twelve  Apostles,"  the,  i.  65. 

Uganda,  ii.  63,  64. 
Uitlanders,  the,   i.   133,   215,   237; 
ii.  63,  113,  128,  140,  141,  192,  205. 
Umfete  Inteni,  i.  334. 
Umgandine,  ii.  85. 
Umjaan,  ii.  90. 
Umkomaas  River,  i.  30. 
Umlevu,  ii.  170. 
U'mlimo,  the,  ii.  156. 
Umquikela,  i.  226;  ii.  44,  107. 
Umshabetsi  River,  i.  318. 
Umshete,  i.  276. 
Umswitchwe,  ii.  217. 
Umtasa.     See  'Mtasa. 
Umtata,  ii.  106. 


Umziligazi,  i.  252. 

Umzilikatse,  i.  253. 

Union  of  South  Africa.  See  Fed- 
eral Union. 

Unondo,  ii.  90. 

Upington,  Sir  Thomas,  i.  199,  217, 
234,  296,  300;  ii.  45,  46,  156, 
194,   196,  197. 

Van   der  Walt,   Mr.,  ii.  54,  116, 

193. 
Van  Niekerk,  i.  162,  171,  172,  179, 

207,  222,  223;  ii.  157. 
Van  Rensburg,  ii.  157. 
Van  Riebeeck,  Governor,  ii.  250. 
Venter,  Mr.  M.  M.,  i.  320 ;  ii.  193. 
Victoria  Falls,  i.  340 ;  ii.  295. 
"View  of  the  World,"  ii.  171,  215, 

321. 
Viljoen,  Mr.,  i.  322. 
Volksraad  Resolutions,  ii.  113,  204. 
Vooruitzigt,  i.  36. 
Vorster,   I\Ir.   Barend,  ii.  26. 

Waal.     See  De  Waal. 

Walfisch  Bay,  i.  218. 

Ward,  Col.  Hon.  B.  M.,  i.  37. 

Ware,  Mr.,  i.  340. 

Warren,   Gen.    Sir   Charles,  i.  71, 

205,  206,  207,  208,  209,  210,  211, 

212,  213,  222,  223. 
Waterboer,   i.   92. 
Webster,  Sir  Richard,  ii.  212. 
Weil,  Mr.  Julius,  i.  338. 
Wessels,  Commandant,  ii.  277. 
White,  Hon.  R.,  ii.  115. 
Williams,  Mr.  Gardiner,  ii.  279. 
Willoughby,  Sir  John,  ii.  89,  183. 
Wilson,    Major    Allan,    ii.    89,    90, 

91,   93.   301,   305. 
Wilson,   Mr.   Henry,   i.  20. 
Winton,  Sir  Francis  de,  i.  308. 
Witwatersrand,  i/l96;  ii.  200. 


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